


An Awfully Big Adventure

by wir_sind_die_Jager



Series: Entranced [3]
Category: Peter Pan & Related Fandoms, Peter Pan (2003), Peter Pan - J. M. Barrie
Genre: Age Difference, Edwardian Period, Established Relationship, Expanded Universe, F/M, Light BDSM, May/December Relationship, Older Man/Younger Woman, Pirates, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Shameless Smut, casually bisexual Wendy, implied bisexual james
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2019-05-28 07:24:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 59,935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15043721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wir_sind_die_Jager/pseuds/wir_sind_die_Jager
Summary: Wendy returns to Neverland for her first excursion as Red-Handed Jill, accompanying Captain James Hook and the crew of the Jolly Roger as they embark on a routine gathering of rogues on another enchanted island. Is Wendy ready to jump into the fray and embrace a life of piracy? (part of a larger series)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know a lot of you are cringing at the idea of an original character - but please bear with me! I promise I beta'ed her through another person to make sure she was respectfully written. Anyway, it is a brief scene in the first chapter alone and you can glaze over it if it isn't your jam. There will be no "romantic triangle" for Wendy's affections, though. This is Darling Hook 100%

Wendy Darling runs her boar hair brush through her thick and luxurious chestnut brown hair as she daydreams about her impending return to Neverland. _One day more_ , Wendy thinks to herself. _Only one more sleep before I am back in his arms._ The 'he' in question is none other than Captain James Hook, with whom Wendy has been carrying on with for over three years. As London time passes, anyway. Time passed much differently in the Neverlands, though there was no exact science to understand the correlation between worlds. Over the course of three years, Wendy has been sneaking off at any opportunity she could create in order to visit her lover. Whether it was a leisure weekend spent languishing in bed together, or a heated tryst against the Neverwood floor, they made it work. Wendy's skin burned for him constantly; even now she had to resist straddling the end of her spindle style footboard, the only object in her dormitory at Rhodes School for Girls that could satisfy her wanton needs. She wanted to savor the longing, however, as it made her eventual release all the more tantalizing, especially at the hands, or other body parts, of the man she loved.

The door to her suite opened and in walked Prudence Hightower, Wendy's roommate for almost four years and the only soul at school who knew of Wendy's duplicitous life.

"All packed up I see," Prudie remarked, eyeing the two trunks stowed beside Wendy's bed before she came around to sit on her own bed and watch her friend at the shared vanity. Younger girls rarely had much furniture beyond the basic necessities of a bed, bedside table, desk and bureau, but as time wore on, items accumulated and Prudie's family, a good deal wealthier than the Darling family ever hoped to be, adorned their beloved daughters dormitory with anything Prudie asked for.  
  
"I am astonished James asked so much of me, although he did not say I was obligated to obtain everything on his list,"

"Oh, now you tell me this!" Prudie exclaimed. "I shall never be able to show my face at Powell's for the amount of magazines and newspapers I have purchased. I fibbed to him and claimed that the American illustrator Charles Dana Gibson is a family friend and I wanted to hand out magazines as Christmas presents to neighbors."  
  
Wendy stared at her friend in the mirror. "You have no need to ask for my assistance in essays when you are perfectly capable of your own narratives."  
  
"Well, you had the worst of it," Prudie said. "Buying out the entire stock of beauty products, ensuing the wrath of all of the village girls who were looking forward to beautifying themselves for their Christmas dances."

"I do feel rather poorly about that," Wendy conceded. "But I want James to know he can rely on me, no matter how many peculiar looks I garner." Wendy looked over her shoulder. "Are you sure you do not want money for helping me? James gives me more than I could ever need."

Prudie waved her off. "Not in the least. My only form of payment is your wicked stories of Neverland."

They stared at one another knowingly before bursting into girlish laughter. When they regained control of their senses, Prudie stood up and began to unfasten her hair as she walked over to her wardrobe to change.

"By the way, what did Miss Stacey want to discuss with you? Another award for her star pupil, I am sure."

"Nothing quite like that," Wendy lightly scoffs even as her expression slightly withers, grateful Prudie's back is to her. "She just wanted to have tea together as we wished each other a very Merry Christmas."  
  
Wendy hated lying to Prudie, especially because she could confide in her friend if she wished, but Wendy was not prepared to unpack and dissect all that Miss Stacey had loaded onto her. Though it would seem impolite to play favorites with her professors, Wendy undoubtedly loved her literature and English teacher best. Miss Stacey seemed to understand that a woman's place was beyond the shackles of the home and kitchen, and she encouraged all of her pupils to become enterprising women after their tenure at Rhodes.

* * *

_Earlier:_

"Have you any plans after graduation, Wendy?" Miss Stacey asked with little niceties, a habit of directness Wendy found refreshing. The question gave Wendy an opportunity to practice her answer, a not-quite lie she had concocted after her last rendezvous with James.  
  
"Nothing is settled," Wendy offered evasively.

"No beau waiting to sweep you off to the altar?"  
  
Wendy swallowed hard; it took her a moment to spy the playful smile on Miss Stacey's face and realize she was half jesting.  
  
"No one like that is waiting in the wings for me," Wendy replied, despite the pang in her heart. Yes, there was a man waiting for her - on a pirate ship moored at an enchanted island that children access through dreams and few adults recall.  
  
"Then it will make this conversation easier," Miss Stacey said, folding her hands on her desk. "I would like to discuss your options with you."  
  
"I have options?" Wendy asked, intrigued.  
  
"More than the average Rhodes alumni. Oh, your status may prevent you from coming out balls and being presented before the King, unlike the majority of our student body, but you have something that I believe vastly outshines such pomp."  
  
Wendy smiled modestly, encouraging her teacher to continue.

"You are our top student, your marks are impeccable. This opens many doors to continue your education further. Have you given much thought to the idea of enrolling at University?"

Wendy was taken aback. She had not thought of higher learning, though the idea of learning more at a higher, more challenging level was immensely appealing.

"I confess, I have not."

"You ought to. Furthermore, I believe that you can do very well at the highest level our country has to offer: Lady Margaret Hall."

"Oxford?" Wendy said breathlessly.  
  
"Then you are familiar?"

"Of course." Wendy's eyes fell downcast. "But given the expense my family has already put towards my education, I cannot imagine they-"

"Pardon me," Miss Stacey interrupted gently. "Before you close the door on this, let me interject that I did think of that possible hurdle. There is a scholarship available." She laughs hollowly. "The student body is predominantly comprised of young women of our modest means, Wendy. Women whose families are relying on their daughters to either marry well enough that she is no longer a burden to them, or provide for herself." Miss Stacey smiles apologetically. "I cannot be sure which future your family favors, but their opinion, and I mean no disrespect, holds little value to me compared to yours."

Wendy sighed heavily, wanting to hate her teacher for thrusting this impossibly wonderful opportunity in her hands. To weigh this against a life with James was unthinkably cruel.

“How does one obtain this scholarship?” Wendy heard herself inquiring.

“Through end of term exams and an application. Your exams were only completed yesterday, I realize, but I am confident you will come out on top once more. Once they have been assessed by all of your instructors, I can slip them in the mail along with your application along with my letter of recommendation.” She opened a drawer and produced a pen and two papers, one a typed letter, and another bearing the seal of Lady Margaret Hall. “Which I hope I can press you to complete before you leave for your holiday tomorrow.”  
Wendy wanted to cry; an opportunity the likes of which she had never dreamt about was practically being handed to her on a silver platter, and all her heart could do was lament for her lover. She felt like such an ungrateful wretch.

“Will you assist me?” Wendy asked as she took the application with trembling hands.

 

 _And now the deed is done,_ Wendy thought to herself as she finished brushing her hair and began to section it off to plait for the night. _Nothing will come of it. I did it to appease Miss Stacey. I could not disappoint her.  
_  
After her hair is taken care of, Wendy settled into her bed and opened the latest journal she is writing for James, a habit she began the very first week she started at Rhodes. She would fill the journal with stories and letters, sometimes pasting clippings from magazines she thought funny or to compliment a story. He seemed to enjoy them, or at least not discourage Wendy from continuing her hobby. With a secretive smile to herself, Wendy realized that she would soon have no need to write to him, for they will always be together. _Eventually._ Wendy's stomach soured at her indecisiveness, and she finally decided to put pen to paper.

_Dearest James: I do not know how to share this news with you, because it is still very fresh in my mind. On this very night, I was called to Miss Stacey's office wherein she presented an application to Lady Margaret Hall at Oxford. She believes I am capable enough not only to attend, but to obtain a scholarship so that there would be no financial burden to my family. Of course, they do not issue degrees to women, which is utterly ridiculous, but I can earn a certification of completion. I realize a university education does nothing to service the kind of life I am seeking to lead with you, and that I should just banish the whole idea from my head. However, there is a part of me that wants to challenge myself and absorb all I can possibly learn. Even the very notion of possibly attending Oxford sets my imagination ablaze! I know your own experience was marred by familial expectations, and I would be fooling myself if I thought for a minute my parents will not have reservations, but such an opportunity is beyond all that I ever imagined for myself. Yet, I am torn. My heart beats wildly for you; we are so close to a life side by side. I want to wake up next to you every morning, watch the sunrise and the sunset with you. To say nothing of your hard work! My beloved instructor in swordsmanship, pistols, everything nautical; my humble tutor of French and Latin. Of love and lovemaking. You have been so patient waiting for your Wendy Darling to grow up, and here I stand on the precipice...looking over my shoulder like a fool. What am I to do, James? I wish I could discuss this face to face with you, as I do in all matters, but I cannot. I feel I may as well be insulting our wonderful years together to even broach the topic. No matter what, I shall be forced to make a decision between two impossible choices. I may not know where my future is heading, but I do know that I love you with all of my heart. Your Wendy Darling_

Feeling satisfied that he will not stumble upon this letter until her choice has been made, Wendy closed the journal, tucked it in her cabinet and sank underneath the covers.

"Wendy?" Prudie softly calls from her bed, noting that her roommate had finally stopped writing. "I am frightfully cold. Come warm me up."  
  
Vacating her own bed, Wendy slips under the covers of her roommate's bed, pressing herself against Prudie's back. Brushing the curly golden hair aside, Wendy plants soft kisses down her friend's neck, adjusting her position as Prudence rolls onto her back to allow better access. Prudie's breasts come into view, Wendy takes hold of one, gently massaging it through the thick cotton of the embroidered nightgown. They kiss, Wendy's tongue seeking entrance into Prudie's mouth. Wendy's other hand begins to bunch up the fabric of Prudence's nightgown until it is above her navel and Wendy can slip her fingers in the soft and warm folds of Prudie's sex. She is always such a hungry cat. With her bouncing blonde curls, heavy green eyes, and a pouty Cupid's bow, Lady Prudence Hightower, (heirless thanks to her Dollar Princess American mother and a bonafide Lady thanks to her titled father) has enjoyed the adoration and attention of many Rhondes pupils as they clamor for her favor. Preferring the company of ladies and with a distinct disdain at the very notion of men, Prue has broken many hearts, especially those belonging to the younger girls, many of whom weep for her affections. Wendy is no such heartbreaker, having the need of her one close friend to keep her bed company while she remains separated from James. Thankfully, Prudie has no illusions over Wendy's heart; she is as confident in their everlasting friendship as she is her own sense of self.  

"You are the prettiest girl in the whole school," Wendy cooed, running her fingers through those lovely cherubic curls. Prudie's hips raised up and down as Wendy's other set of fingers delivered her to bliss. They shared a series of cloying kisses before disentangling themselves to readjust their nightclothes and tuck down into bed together. It was quite chilly that night; the snow was expected to rise by mid afternoon.

"Goodnight, Prudie," Wendy said, kissing her best friend on the forehead.  
  
“Goodnight, Wendy.”

* * *

 

They were up bright and early. The chaos of the last day was palpable; it was an exodus of trunks, hats, gloves, and farewells. Parents, chauffeurs, and chaperones arrived in droves to escort the young ladies of Rhodes School for Girls home for the winter holidays. Wendy returned to her room immediately after breakfast, waiting until Prudie was ready. Like the tempest she is, Prudie enterd the room with a loud,

“No, Edith, I have not seen your train tickets. Honestly, you are the silliest girl, and I strongly advise you against marriage, for I fear you will one day lose your own children!” Prudie shuts the door with finality and spies Wendy on the bed.

“At least any children lost will be collected by Peter Pan,” Wendy adds.

“Edith Stokes could be just the match for your forgetful Peter Pan," Prudie huffs before adding with a smile, "My chauffeur will be along to collect my trunk. He is caught up for the moment, but this is your chance.”  
  
Rising, Wendy nods as they embrace and kiss one another farewell.

“I shall miss you terribly," Prudie teases with a pout.

"You will surely find some girl to court and promptly drop like an old glove, you terrible flirt." Wendy bops her friend on the tip of her nose playfully. "Thank you again for the cover,” Wendy says. “James and I are forever in your debt.”  
  
“Tosh!” Prudie scoffs. “Now, get going.”

Wendy approaches the mirror, the lilac perfume bottle James gifted her three years ago clutched in her hands. She pumps once, enough fairy dust escapes in a puff of gold to cover the mirror. The reflection immediately changes - it is shadowy, with the back of a waterfall in the short distance. Smiling as she recognizes the back of the cave at the tarn, Wendy motions for Prudie to assist her with the two trunks. They work together to shove both of them on the other side before Wendy gives her friend one last hug and steps forward, the magic gate closing directly behind her.

 

* * *

 

“Moving in, are we?”

Wendy groaned from the effort of trying to upright her trunk, dropping it to look up at James, leaning against the jagged cavern wall as he coolly watches her struggle.

“You could be a gentleman and offer to help,” Wendy huffed, irritably brushing back a tendril of hair that has loosened from her stylish pompadour.

“Oh, yes. My apologies.” He looked over his shoulder and whistled sharply, causing Wendy to wince. A gaggle of Jolly Roger crew members stepped forward, careful of the waterfall, and took hold of the trunks.

“What could you possibly have in there?” James asked, gesturing with his iron appendage as his men struggle to gain purchase on the craggy surface of the cave while hoisting two impressively heavy trunks.  
  
“Firstly, sir, one of those trunks contains all sorts of goods from that ludicrous list you gave to me. Secondly, as I told you countless times before, I have to keep up the pretense of being off with Prudie for the winter holiday. I cannot very well leave my belongings.” Wendy took his offered arm and they followed behind the crew. “Besides, you did not share with me the exact length of this journey we are embarking on, so how am I to know what to wear?”  
  
“I actually have that covered, precious, but it matters not. You are here.” He stopped at the center of the glen and embraced her; Wendy leaned heavily into his kiss, loving his arms around her waist. Their kiss deepens, becomes more impassioned until finally James remembered his crew, uncomfortably waiting just on the outskirts. Breaking from Wendy, he barks, “What the hell are you standing around for?”  
  
“C’mon, lads,” Smee directed with a gesture to keep moving. “Let’s give the Cap’n and our Wendy some privacy.”

“James!” Wendy smacked his chest, wrestling free of his grip.

“Well they never assumed we were having tea in my cabin, my love.”  
  
Wendy tittered at that despite herself. He slinked over to her again, embracing her from behind and kissing her temple softly before offering his arm again for them to resume their pace behind the crew. Two jolly boats were moored and waiting for their passengers. When aboard the _Jolly Roger_ , Wendy stands aside at the rail of the quarterdeck to give respectful distance as James directed his crew. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet, salty sea air of Neverland; such a distinct aroma -  a wind scented with flora, and spices Wendy only read about in books.

“How are you, Miss Wendy?” Smee asked at her side.

“Very well, thank you,” she replied, opening her eyes to look at him. “I trust you are well?"  
  
"Aye, aye. As can be expected." He was anxious to deflect the subject back to her. "The cap'n mentioned somethin' about it being winter where youse were." 

"Oh, yes. It was snowing in England when I left.”  
  
“Are you on your Christmas holidays then?”  
  
“I am.”  
  
“My, my. I can’t think of the las’ time I spent a Christmas back there.” He scratched his round head as if calculating the sums. “Thems was early days for the Cap’n in me. ‘Course, this was before he was Cap’n.”  
  
“Yes, you have told me before that you knew him before Neverland.” Wendy smiles girlishly.

“Your doin’ well with your studies then?”  
  
“Oh, yes. I am at the top of my class.”  
  
“Goodness! Well, ‘tis no surprise. You always were a clever one.”

“That is very sweet of you to say,” Wendy beamed, proud that the Irish bosun takes pride in her.  
  
“No, ‘tis true, Miss. I am ever so glad the Cap’n found himself an intelligent lady.” Smee lowered his voice conspiringly. “Sometimes he needs to be put in his place, an’ it can’t be one of us. Better someone who is sharper, can keep ‘im on his toes.”  
  
“You have always been my ally, Mr. Smee,” Wendy said, feeling humbled by his praise. “I shall always count you among my dearest friends.”  
  
“Go on with you now,” Smee blushed.

A distinct clearing of the throat alerted them to another presence.

“Am I interrupting something?” James asked, eyeing them suspiciously. 

“Just two old chums catching up,” Wendy sassed, giving the bosun a chaste peck on the cheek before sauntering past James and into his quarters. Hook raised a curious brow to his boatswain, who quickly excused himself and scurried away before he was subjected to an inquisition. When James joined his lover, she is going through her personal trunk, settling her shoes aside and letting her pinned hair tumble down in a mix of plaits and waves.

“You have Prudie to thank for half of the contents of that trunk,” Wendy said, shooting a glance at the other trunk. “Along with the trunk itself. I do not own so many objects that warrants two with me at school.”

“Did you pay her for her troubles?”

“She refused payment,” Wendy said, standing up. “As I knew she would.”

“How is dear Prudence?” James asked, sauntering over to his paramour, realizing they are finally alone together.  
  
“She is fine, James,” Wendy said tersely. “Do not follow that question up with another.”  
  
“But you know how I love,”  
  
“James.”

“Just a small detail,”

 _“James.”_  
  
He kissed her neck and encircled her from behind. “Very well. Keep your schoolgirl indiscretions to yourself.”  
  
Wendy sighed against his kisses, his intact hand roaming the front of her day dress, touching, caressing, grabbing, squeezing, petting her sex to arousal through the fabric of her dress.

“Besides,” Wendy murmured as she tilts her head back against his shoulder. “I have spared no detail in my latest volume of letters for you.”  
  
“God I love you, woman.”  
  
“Hmmm. Yes. Keep that in mind and do not read them until I have well left. They are only to keep you company when I am gone, not as a supplementary prose to our own rather…” she gasped as he began to kiss the top of her breasts. “Vivid story.”

“You have my word.”

“Take my dress off, James.”  
  
“My, my," James chided, sucking on the skin between her neck and collarbone. "You are not here for a full hour and you are already giving orders?”  
  
“Did I frame that as a question, Captain Hook? Remove my clothing immediately.” She gasped in horror as his hook effortlessly sliced through the back of her dress, chemise, and corset. “James! What are you doing?”  
  
“Removing you clothes, treasure,” he sayid airily. “If you did not intend for me to utilize the most efficient way at my disposal, you should have thought out your details.” He has released her from all layers, as the puddle at Wendy’s feet leaving her gloriously naked. Turning around, Wendy raised her arms to wrap around his neck and pull him downward for another passionate kiss. His hand is at her rump, kneading and slapping until he has successfully guided her over to the bed where he reclined against the bolsters and Wendy positions herself on his lap.  
  
“You have no idea how I have resisted temptation these last weeks,” Wendy huffed huskily as she straddled his hips and pushed Hook down onto his back to unfasten and unlace as much of his clothes as she can, running her delicate hands across his chest, scraping her nails down his finely taut muscles.  
  
“Tell me,” he demanded, staring up at her.

“I wanted to apply all of those horrible, cruel lessons on the rewards of patience and self-restraint you gave to me.”

Hook idly brushed her nipples with the back of his hand. “You were always well satiated for your good behavior.”

“Yes, but it was easier when you were forcing these lessons and I did not have be self-motivated.”  
  
James trailed his hand downward, feeling between her legs. She was hot and dripping, exactly how he liked her. Abandoning her sex, he looked up and asked, “How long has it been since you last pleasured yourself, girl?”  
  
“Over two weeks,” Wendy confessed with a flush of pride, sliding down so that her sex was mounted over the strain of his leather breeches. Leaning ever so slightly forward, Wendy bit her bottom lip and slowly gyrated, grinding her wanting clit upon his clothed cock.  
  
His eyebrows raised. “I would not believe you if you were not honest to a fault.” His expression suddenly turned suspicious. “Not even with Miss Hightower?”  
  
“Much to Prudie’s disappointment.”  
  
A slow smirk curled at the corner of his mouth. “What a good girl I have raised. Go on, little girl.” He slapped her ass with a resounding smack. “Get your reward.”

Wendy has freed his cock and mounted it in under a minute, riding him with a ferocity the likes of which neither of them had yet to witness.  
  
“Your cunt is exceptionally greedy today,” James hissed through gritted teeth. "I am going to relish filling it up." In response, Wendy struck him across the face with a primal cry of self-satisfaction. His shock was quickly replaced with a twisted expression between malice and awe.

"Is that all you can muster, _girly_?"

She practically screamed at the loathed moniker as she strikes him twice more, alternating her hands as she maintains her aggressive stamina. This went on for some time, until his vision doubled with her last round of slaps and he was forced to grab her wrist before she could strike him again. He held her wrist, poised midair as she held his gaze, triumphant and lusty. Utilizing her other hand, Wendy began to feverishly work her clit, mewling at the electrifying sensation after having abstained for weeks. She felt James slide his hand up her wrist and intertwine his fingers with hers. The gentle intimacy of his touch juxtaposed with the intensity of of her impending orgasm was nearly overwhelming as Wendy growled and amped up her gyrations.

"That's right," James cooed, licking his lips hungrily as he watched her like a predator. "Come for me, Darling. Come for me."  
  
Wendy squeezed his hand and cock as she leaned down nearly chest to chest with him to breathe hotly against his face, "Ï'm coming for _myself_ , darling Hook."

That was enough to drive him over the edge, thrusting his hips upward as he came forcefully inside of her. She rode through it, tossing her head back in abandon as she ascended to a magnificent orgasm. Before Wendy had time to catch her breath, James pulled her down and wrapped her in a tight embrace, rolling them onto their side as he captured her lips.  
  
"Oh, James," Wendy giggled guiltily as she gingerly touched his cheek where a bruise was smartening under his left eye. "I am sorry,"

"Never apologise," he said abruptly. "I relish the sting of my Jill's red hand."  
  
They canoodled and cuddled, nuzzling one another with feather light caresses and kisses until Wendy suddenly drew back and yawned. Worriedly, Hook brushes her long hair away from her face. "What is it, treasure?"  
  
"I have not slept well this last week, studying for my examinations." Wendy yawned again, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "I think I shall take a nap."  
  
Kissing her ear and nuzzling her neck, James whispered, "Shall I send up a bath for you first?"  
  
"No," she moaned petulantly as she licked his lips. "I dutifully drank my tea; I want to keep your seed inside me a while longer. Stay with me, please?" She begged, kissing the end of his nose and tucking her head under his chin in the way she knew he could not resist.

"For a little while," Hook relented against his better judgment, shifting and maneuvering until they were under the covers. "Then I must get back to my preparations, for we leave at daybreak."

"I am positively humming with anticipation," Wendy said even as she closed her eyes and shifted so that he was spooning her, a protective arm around her waist.

* * *

 

James lay dozing beside her for an hour before he quietly extracted himself, taking extra care as Wendy had taken hold of his hook in her sleep. Moving backward off the bed, James pulled the covers up to her ears and drew the drapes around, save for a wide enough opening that he could check in on her periodically while he set about preparations for their impending excursion.

For the majority of his afternoon, Captain Hook tended to business, ensuring with Smee that their inventory was counted for and in place, the _Jolly Roger_ herself was ship-shape and looking her most majestic, with their provisions well stocked. The crew was palpably ebullient, the anticipatory energy of a journey providing extra pep in their duty. When he could spare a moment, James would pop into his cabin to look upon Wendy, to stroke her hair or plant a kiss on her ear or brow. By the time the sun was dipping James decided it was time to rouse his beauty. Perching himself on the edge of his bed, James gently shook Wendy's shoulder.  
  
"Wendy, beloved. Come on, girl. Up with you."  
  
She raised her arm, pulling the coverlet over her head. He was having none of it, refusing to coddle his beloved any longer.

"No, no. You have slept the day away. Get up and we shall dine together."  
  
Wendy twisted towards him, blinking to consciousness. Sleep still had her within its clutches.

"What is the time?"  
  
"Sunset, nearly. Are you hungry?"  
  
Bleary eyed, Wendy deeply inhaled and exhaled. "Ravenous."

"Good." He got up and retrieved his own dressing gown to toss across her lap. "Much as I would love to have you sitting naked on my lap, I must stay focused tonight."  
  
"Thank you," Wendy said, getting out of bed to take the heavy jacquard dressing robe and wrap her much smaller frame in it, delighted to be wrapped in the scent of her lover. A brief smile twitched at the corners of his mouth as he saw her open enjoyment of his black and pewter dressing robe, though he turned his laugh into a cough as he spied the pile of excess fabric pooling at her feet.

Their food soon arrived and together they dined pleasantly until Hook could not avoid serious conversation any longer.

"Wendy, I must impart certain rules and information about our excursion. It is mostly comprised of merriment, trade, business, camaraderie, and just enough mayhem to keep an island of ne'er do wells and criminals satiated. All in good fun. However." He paused until Wendy sat attentively in her seat. "For one, you are never to be anywhere but by my side unless you are accompanied by a chaperone I have personally assigned you to."  
  
"Is this other island dangerous?" Wendy asked.  
  
"Well," Hook gave a flourish gesture with his intact hand. "There is an agreement that no skirmishes or squabbles may escalate into violence. It is a tenuous peace at best, but it has saved much bloodshed. For the most part, everyone abides. I am speaking in cautionary terms because there are always those few lone wolfs who think they are above rules."

"I see."

"For another, you are to never be unarmed. All of your weapons we have been practicing with will be placed on your persons and are to be used in distressing moments."

"Alright," Wendy said, curious how three daggers, one sword and a pistol were going to be carried on her person.

He tried to think of anything else to say to her, but found he was at a loss. He was beyond the point of having to train or teach anyone; that was for his senior crew members to attend to. Teaching Wendy fighting and weapons were one thing; the nuances of the life of a pirate was something entirely else, and best to learn with experience. "Do you have any questions yourself?"  
  
"Many," Wendy admitted as she slouched, pushing the remainder of her dinner around her plate. "Only they have all seemed to disappeared from my mind."

He smiled understandingly at her. "I have every confidence you will undoubtedly learn as we go along. Speaking of which, you mentioned examinations. How is your last year at school coming along?"

Wendy suddenly tensed at the mention of school. She quickly stabbed several piece of food with her fork as she said, "Splendid! I am at the top of my class and passed all of my first term examinations." She shoved the food in her mouth to avoid having to answer any further questions. Her lover gave her an odd look before setting his silverware to the side and pushing back in his chair to stretch. Feeling silly, Wendy pushed her own plate aside and, after picking up the excess robe so she would not trip, scuttled over to James to perch herself on his lap. Nuzzling his cheek as she wrapped her arms around his neck, Wendy was able to successfully engage him in a series of playful kisses before he reluctantly pulled back.

"Ah, much as I would love to play with my Darling girl, I have to check in with Smee and Starkey. Both of us will then need to bathe and then I will unfortunately be retiring early so that I get up before the sun."

"I have not seen you for months," Wendy pouted, tucking herself under his chin like she did when she was younger. "I am in much need of you."

He kissed the crown of her head. "I promise we will have ample opportunity to reacquaint ourselves in all sorts of wicked ways later, my love."

 

Wendy occupied herself by sorting the contents of her personal trunk, removing items she brought specifically for James, particularly the latest volume of her private journal to him. She pet the plain brown leather cover with fondness, thinking that this will soon be the last of her little gifts. _Or will it?_ Wendy pushed the errant thought from her mind. Rising, Wendy walked the leather bound journal to the built in shelf on the inside wall of his bed, where Wendy knew him to keep sacred treasures and weapons at the ready. Kneeling on the bed, Wendy neatly placed the book among the others and sat back on her heels to admire them. Overcome with girlish glee, Wendy suddenly flopped on the bed and grabbing James' pillow, hugged it to her chest and rolled across their bed, thinking how utterly splendid it will be once everything went from his to _theirs_.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Wendy suddenly looked up to see James peering down at her.

"I believe that is my pillow. Yours is the one with saliva stains."

"I do not drool!" Wendy exclaimed, unaware of the crew members delivering their bath until that moment. Gasping, Wendy drew back into the safety of their wall-inset canopied bed, blocking their view of her. She did not mind them; she adored them, in fact, but her state of undress was not something she wanted to flaunt in front of them.  

"Mmhmm. Shy now, are we?"

Defiantly, Wendy opened the front of the borrowed robe, revealing her breasts to him. A dangerous glint of red flashed in his eyes, making Wendy smile. Leaning down, James whispers low so only she can hear him:

"Just because I will not fuck you all night long does not mean I will not punish you."

In response, Wendy merely unties the sash drooping at her waist, slowly pulling back the fabric to reveal her body. His mouth waters as she slowly begins to rub her cunt, biting her bottom lip to keep quiet while they hold eye contact.  
The door suddenly slams shut, and they are alone. Wendy tosses her head back and laughs until he suddenly grabs her by the hair and pulls her roughly forward.

"Find something more productive to do with your mouth, you filthy wench."

Only too eager to comply, Wendy quickly frees his cock from his breeches and takes it in her mouth. Sighing and moaning with contentment, Wendy does not mind in the least that James is forcefully thrusting his hips, doing most of the work for her, dragging her along by the hair still. She has sucked him many times; she can take a little roughness. He does not last long; he must have been pent up throughout the day as she slept. She swallows most of his seed, save for a single film dribbling down her cheek. He gives her ass a resounding slap.

"Get in that tub."

She moans, refusing to leave the bed as she is still left wanting. With controlled rage, Hook shoves her onto her side and pulls, rolls, and pushes her until she is relieved of the robe, naked on her hands and knees with her pert bottom facing him. He twists his hook so that the blunt side is forcing her head down against the bed as his intact hand attacks her sex from behind.

"Allow me to impart one more rule onto you, my sweetness," he says, his voice measured, gentlemanly, and utterly dangerous. "Yes, you are the woman I love. Yes, I would dispatch a man for so much as looking at you in such a way that displeases me. Yes, I would even stop a bullet with my own heart to shield you from harm. However, make no mistake: I am the fucking captain of this ship and this crew. And when it comes to this ship and her crew, I am god and my word is law." His fingers thrust in and out of her quivering sex while his thumb increases its pace on her clit. Wendy bites hard on her lip, hyper-focused on his words. "You are merely an extension of me, and there will be none of your spoilt brat foolishness or behaving like a gutter cat in heat whilst we are away. The manner in which you shall conduct yourself will be held at my exacting standards and mine alone. _I_ will dictate when you may behave otherwise. Until that moment arises, you are either the perfect lady as all of that good breeding Mother and Father so desperately tried to accord you, or you are the prefect merciless rogue I have personally reared and raised, my Red-Handed Jill. Have I made myself perfectly clear, Miss Darling?"

"Yes," Wendy whimpers.

"Pardon?" He asks, lightly as if his left hand were not mercilessly driving her to the edge of ecstasy.

"Yes!" She sobs.

"Yes, what? Is that how you address me?"

Tears of want and need blur Wendy's vision as she takes a deep breath to try once more.

"Yes, Captain!"

"Good girl," He purrs, focusing all of his digits on her clit, cajoling it to a quaking orgasm for his Wendy girl. He holds her through her shudders, still agitating her clit through several orgasmic convulsions until she is spent. Released, Wendy curls up into a loose ball on the bed, swathed in bliss, only vaguely aware she was being carefully hoisted and carried somewhere until the warmth of water enveloped her as James gently lay her in the tub. Wendy’s russet hair floats along the surface of the water, Opheliac and lovely save that Wendy realized she will have to wash it now. Hook is kind enough to assist, at least, fetching her toiletries from her trunk before disrobing and joining her, assisting to scrub her scalp with his fingers and holding sections back from her downturned head with his hook.

“I ought to cut it,” she growled in frustration.

“The hell you will,” he said calmly.”Tis bad luck to cut such a crowning glory.”

“I suppose.” Wendy knew her own vanity would not permit her anyway. “How will you introduce me to your compatriots during our excursion?” Wendy asked.

“Red-Handed Jill, naturally. You chose the name yourself. No one is to know your real name, though thankfully, no one expects you to use your real name. You have a living family to protect and I mislike anyone beyond this ship having that knowledge. It is an intrusion of our privacy.”  
  
Wendy is thankful for the cover of her hair as the blush rise on her face when she asks, “What will _our_ name be, James?”  
  
“How do you mean?” He asked, distracted with the task of working her London purchased shampoo through her tresses.

“When we wed.”

His ministrations slowly come to a halt, a tense pause rising between them. Sensing the change in the air, Wendy straightens and turns to look at him. His expression is a mixture of puzzlement and embarrassment. In a heartbeat, Wendy felt all of her old insecurities overwhelm her.

“I misunderstood you when I last visited,” she said, looking down as the sting of tears blurred her vision momentarily.

“The fault lies with me,” he is quick to retort before searching for the words to explain himself. “Perhaps it was wrong of me to assume...you must understand that gentleman that I pride myself to be, I am still out of practice with certain niceties. You see, for a great while now, and forever if you are equally content, I have considered you to be my wife.”  
  
The breath gone from her, Wendy sobbed tears of joy instead of anguish, wrapping her wet arms around his neck to kiss him. He holds her close against him, her hand slipping to rest at his heart. “As far as surnames are concerned, I had one once, but I shed it ages ago. I am in no particular rush to acquire another and you have a perfectly suitable name.”

“Then I am still Wendy Darling?”

“Yes, to me, and forever if you wish to retain it.”

A pensive expression crossed on Wendy’s face. “I do not think I have really comprehended until now that when you say forever, it is a conceivable reality.”

“If you wish it.”

Wendy blinked; Pan had said that to her, spat it at her, once, long ago, in the bubble of time.

“Only if you are by my side,” Wendy says, splaying her other hand on his cheek. “Eternity would be unbearable without you.”

He squeezed the hand on his chest and pressed his lips to her forehead. “It was unbearable until you showed up, my pearl.”

They lingered beyond the warmth of the bath, focusing instead on the deep exploration of each other's mouth. Wendy's tongue salaciously stroked the roof of his mouth in the hopes she could entice him to engage her with other parts of his body. He politely redirected her attentions once more, petting her hair and kissing her without inviting further activities before they parted to vacate the copper tub and dry off.

"Here," he said, flinging a black silk garment at her. Catching it, Wendy held it up: it was a pyjama top in the style from the colonies with a paisley pattern of the darkest grey on it. Looking up, she saw him in the matching black loose trousers and eagerly slipped into the top, giggling at it fell to the middle of her thighs.

"Shall I light a fire?" He offered, already going to the coal stove only used when Pan had abandoned the Neverlands, plunging the enchanted land into a frigid wasteland.

Wendy sat in front of the stove and rubbed her hair bit by bit with a fleece as James went about his business, filling out a ledger at the table.

"We still have plenty of time, you know," Wendy said suggestively. 

"That is not the issue, pet. The issue is that I will not stop until I have had my fill of you and I intend to rise before the sun tomorrow."

"But what about rising for your Wendy Darling?"

"Patience, my love," Hook cooed, though her sass and eagerness managed to tug a smile at the corner of his mouth. "I assure you, we will have plenty opportunities for debauchery. That is, in fact, half the point of this excursion."

“Does our destination have a name?”  
  
“The island itself is oft called Dénete. It is smaller than Neverland, I believe, though I have never been able to explore it beyond the village.”

“We are going to a village?” Wendy asked in shock. In all of her years visiting Neverland, the only village Wendy came upon was the tribe of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, who had generations ago found their escape from the invading European colonizers plaguing their land and peoples.  

“Yes,” he replied, mildly surprised before he remembered that she knew next to nothing of something he took for granted. “It is adjacent to the port. Have you perchance visited Bristol?”  
  
“No, but if you mean a seaside town, I have been to Brighton,” Wendy offers, looking over her shoulder at him. He sets her with a condescending smile.

“Not quite the same. It matters not.”

“How big is the village?” Wendy asked, suddenly plagued with questions. “Are there shops? Who lives there? Are there creatures like mermaids and fairies? Who manages Dénete? Is there someone like Peter there?”

“Enough,” James laughed, dropping his pen to hold up his palm to her. “Let me think a moment, love.” He pauses to gather his thoughts, hoping to answer all of her questions. “The town is usually referred to, most unimaginatively, Dénete-town. Yes, there are commercial enterprises of all sorts there. The residents are a diverse range of people, and mostly descendants of pirates who decided to retire, a luxury among our kind. The island has a custodian, as it were, in Armistice Nocturna. It is my understanding that her great-grandmother established the town many, many years ago when she settled with one of the indigenous peoples of the Americas who found his way to the Neverlands. There are fae folk on the island, and they range from members of the local community to inhospitable and even hostile to outsiders. You will see things, Wendy, creatures and folk beyond the human imagination. I cannot prepare you for all of it, you simply must experience it."

Wendy's imagination was ignited. "But how do I not insult them? I fear I may gawk."

"You will do your best."  
  
Wendy felt unsure of herself. "And what if they are hostile, as you said?"

"So long as humans do not venture beyond the boundaries of Nocturna’s territory, they will not instigate trouble.” James rubs his forehead. “What else did you ask me? Oh, yes. No, there is no one like Pan on Dénete because even Pan himself cannot exist there without consequences.”

“What do you mean?” Wendy asked, setting down her fleece to plait her hair for the night.

“Pan’s powers of eternal youth and flight come to an immediate halt once he crosses the threshold of his own boundaries. Humans are, effectively, merely humans there.”  
  
“Meaning,” Wendy said slowly, working out the details. “People age on Dénete?”

“Yes. Not at a natural rate, mind, or what you and I would consider natural, but yes.”  
  
“James…” Wendy started carefully. “How old do you suppose Peter is? I mean, how many years do you suppose he has existed as a little boy?”  
  
“I haven’t the slightest idea.”  
  
“But you must. You said he was already here when you ventured to Neverland, and you have alluded to your own unnatur-” Wendy felt her cheeks flare with self-awareness as she stops herself before finishing her sentence, feeling his eyes boring into her. She was unsure if the look was a warning or a challenge as she backed up and chose her next words very carefully. “Extended lifespan. Only you yourself, and I am assuming Mr. Smee, knows the year in which you departed our lands, and as you have chosen not to share this with me, I cannot calculate the sums myself.”

Hook felt his blood boil. _Unnatural. You are wholly unnatural. Does this silly girl not realize she, too, will become unnatural as I am? Why must she ask me so may questions!_  
  
“Firstly, my pet, I am not withholding this information from you; I am merely waiting until the appropriate time. Secondly, if I had to guess...knowing the history of Hyde Park...oh, I care not for this topic!” He slammed his pen down, causing Wendy to jump. “Time does not pass in similar ways. You know this, you have always knowns this! It is incalculable. Why does this matter to you?”  
  
“It doesn’t,” Wendy whispered, regretting that she had broached the topic.  
  
James folds his arms over his chest, angry at himself for frightening her. The cabin comes to a comfortable chill as the coals burn out, Wendy now finished with her hair as she quietly gets up to hang her fleece out to dry on the rack beside the stove. Tiptoeing to her trunk to search for an outfit for the next day and lay it on the sofa before she finds her personal, private journal and a pen with which to write. Slipping into bed, Wendy draws up her knees and uses them as a surface for her journal as she begins to scratch out her private thoughts. She avoids looking over at James, though she knows he is moving about the cabin now. Expecting him to join her in bed, Wendy is surprised when all but her light is extinguished and the Captain takes his leave of her.


	2. Chapter 2

After shutting his ledger, James hastily redressed and left his cabin. Feeling like a jackass ogre, he delays returning to his cabin as he checks on every minutia relating to their impending departure. He ignored the curious, incredulous even, looks given by Smee and Starkey, who were of course more than competent to carry out overseeing a routine journey. Still feeling too stubborn to return with his tail between his legs, but too antsy to be of any use, Hook finally settled on smoking at the prow, the furthest point he could get away from Wendy without vacating the ship entirely. Childish, to be certain, but James felt he could smoke and brood in peace. The moonlight illuminated the dark waters below, where Hook could just make out a lone mermaid hunting for her dinner.

 _Well, there you go. The anchor has not even been hoisted and you are letting your nerves get the better of you. You love her curious nature, you encourage it. But you do not honor it when she turns that curiosity on you._ Hook shook his head at himself, unaware someone had joined him until they spoke.

“Captain?”  
  
Hook’s blue eyes slid to gaze on his quartermaster, Ignatius "Gentleman" Starkey, before gesturing for the other man to sit opposite him. He could sense the exasperation in Starkey’s countenance. Best get this over with. At least Starkey was a man who did not prance around topics.

“Who is going to be on Miss Darling duty while we are away?”  
  
“Miss Darling duty?” Hook nearly choked on the smoke he exhaled.

“I know we are at truce when we dock at Dénete, but much of the crew is nervous that such a pretty young girl will be mistaken for someone who is not spoken for.”  
  
“You believe Miss Darling incapable of defending herself?” James was genuinely curious, wondering if his ardor had blinded him to a flaw in her defenses.   
  
“I’ve practiced with her over the years; she’s good. Better than half the curs on this ship, in fact. I just don’t know yet if she would fight or freeze were it to come down to it.”

“I do see your point,” James conceded, chucking the still lit end of his cigar overboard, nearly tittering as the mermaid supping below hissed at the sudden ashes in her hair. “Fear not. I will be personally escorting Miss Darling and when I must part with her, a chaperone has already been appointed and, I do not mind sharing, is eager to take on the task. Unlike my crew.” He set Starkey with a stern and disappointed stare.

“Now, Captain,” Starkey said impertinently. “Everyone adores Miss Darling. There isn’t a man on this ship who speaks or thinks ill of her. We merely anticipate being questioned.”

Hook nodded, appreciating Starkey’s candor. He was the elegant mouthpiece of the crew, the liaison who could smooth over worries and concerns before dissent took hold, and the wielder of the whip for those who stepped out of line. Hook always valued him, in one way or another, as their history was long and complex. The fact that Starkey could talk to him so frankly was just the tip of their relationship. James mildly entertained the idea of sending Wendy to Mr. Starkey for notations on his other, more _intimate_ talents, but that would send her already inquisitive mind into obsession with his past; a past he was not yet ready to reconcile with.  

“Go back and tell the crew that if they are questioned about the nature of my relationship with Miss Darling that for all intents and purposes, she is your Captain’s wife. If they mock her or take issue with that, they are most welcome to bring their grievances directly to me.”

Starkey leans back against the base of the bowsprit.

“Wife, hm?” He draws a cigarette of his own out from his waistcoat pocket. James hands him a match. “I did not anticipate this turn of events. Then again.” He takes an inhale and sets his gaze levelly at his captain. “You always were the romantic one, James. Even when we were young.”

James visibly relaxes with a sigh, knowing Starkey would not have spoken so casually to him if they were not completely out of earshot from the others.

“That was when I was at my most romantic. Head full of nonsense.”

“You have to be a romantic to leave behind what we left behind.”  
  
“I try not to think on it.” He briefly debates withholding more before quickly adding, “Wendy keeps pressing me for details of my life before Neverland.”

“They are all Bluebeard's wife in the end, women," Starkey remarks before taking a long drag off his cigarette.

James' mouth quirked into a funny grimace as he recited the famous Perrault moral, with Starkey joining in half way:

"Ladies, you should never pry--  
You'll repent it by and by!   
'Tis the silliest of sins;   
Trouble in a trice begins.   
There are, surely--more's the woe!--   
Lots of things you need not know.   
Come, forswear it now and here--   
_Joy so brief, that costs so dear!_ "   
  
They snickered together before Starkey asked, "Is this the cause for your peculiar behavior tonight?"

"I do not understand your meaning," Hook says, shifting and avoiding eye contact.

"There is no use playing pretend." He tipped the ashes of his cigarette overboard. "You are not used to apologizing. It is bad form to leave a lady waiting for you to get your head out of your arse and return to her."

With a groan, James concedes to this point and gets up to leave. Before taking his leave, he turns to his quartermaster and adds, "Oh, and be sure to remind everyone that Miss Darling shall only be addressed henceforth as Red-Handed Jill."   


* * *

 

When James returned to his stately cabin he found Wendy reading in bed. She did not acknowledge his presence as he removed his clothing and put his black silk pyjama trousers back on, nor when he sat on the bed and stared at her. Hook cleared his throat.   
  
"Wendy. Look at me, please." He gently pulled down the book with the side of his hook. Only then did she look up at him. "Darling girl, I am unaccustomed to inquisitions into my past. You have tried many times to worm and wiggle information out of me, and I have imparted a vast deal many tidbits about myself. Perhaps more than you have yet to realize. In due time, I am confident you will weasel all of my secrets out of me because I am a man and helpless to your womanly wiles. But please trust in me that I will tell you all there is to know. You have been on this earth for but a moment, and yet you are as stubborn as stubborn can be and as impatient as Pan."

"But what is your logic behind withholding this part of your life from me?"

"The truth of it is, Wendy, I am afraid you will see me differently. And that you will not like what knowledge you have acquired." His moustache twitches as he frowns and adds, "I already struggle trying to work out why a beautiful, intelligent and good hearted young woman loves a blackguard such I."

Scooting onto her knees, Wendy brushed a stray curl out of his eyes as she said, "Yes, Captain Hook, you are a villain, the villain from my girlhood dreams. However, you have shifted and taken on multiple roles: hero, teacher, friend, and lover. You are complicated, to be sure, but what knowledge could there possibly be that is worse than knowing you have killed, taken life, and will most likely again?" She leans over and presses her full lips to his ear, murmuring, "And I love you still."

"You are young, precious, and have yet to understand that there are worse things in this world than death."

"You are theatrical and maudlin," Wendy chided, running her fingers through his hair and against his scalp. She kissed his forehead and pulled back. "Come to bed. You said you have to rise with the sun."

"Before," he corrected with a sigh as he slips under the covers with her. "We leave at daybreak."

Wendy rests against his bare chest and kisses him above his heart.

"Goodnight, my love."

 

* * *

 

It is well into the morning before Wendy wakes again. She rises and stretches, blearily looking around for James before remembering that he must have left hours ago. Not having a clock at her disposal, and being too cozied up in the canopied bed means she cannot tell the time by the sun's position, Wendy opts to poke her head out and see if she can gage how long she has slept. When she steps onto the planked floorboard, Wendy comes to a halt. The ship was moving! Running to the window pane back wall, Wendy throws open the door to the little veranda and steps out. Leaning over the rail, she spies the rudder in full effect. She tosses her head back and laughs. This was more thrilling than absconding in the appropriated _Jolly Roger_ to escape Neverland! Returning inside, Wendy dresses and pins up her hair before cautiously going above deck.

She had never seen the crew so lively, doing exactly what they were meant to do instead of the listless existence of occasionally terrorizing children. Careful not to be so obtuse as to get in someone's way, Wendy cautiously made her way to the poop deck where her beloved captain was manning the helm. Shyly, Wendy stepped back to simply admire him. He looked positively regal to her, resplendent in red and black. Wendy's heart was swelling with pride, too caught in her own girlish admiration to notice a scrappy young man slide up to her.  
  
"Good morning, Mother, I mean! Miss Wendy."  
  
She started at the voice but smiled when she met warm, dark brown eyes and a wide, shy smile. It was Laddie, a former Lost Boy who had successfully escaped the cruel culling Pan undertook whenever he felt a Boy was edging too closely to manhood. Wendy had begged James to take him on, as she had found he had secretly done in the past, and he obliged her. Gangly with dark auburn hair and freckles, Laddie still looked as ever the shy boy despite towering over Wendy.

"Hello, Laddie, how are you?" Wendy stood on her tiptoes to plant a maternal peck on his cheek, causing his face to acquire a shade similar to his hair.

Before he could answer, he was roughly shoved from behind as Starkey stormed over to them. "What are you doing talking to Miss Darling? Get below deck and mind your place, boy."

With an apologetic look, Laddie scattered back to his job. Wendy crossed her arms and set the quartermaster with a hard stare. She certainly did not like a bully, and wondered about the whip curled and attached to his belt. 

"Was that really necessary, Mr. Starkey?"

"I am afraid so. Cabin boys on deck trying to win favors from the captain's lady is strictly prohibited. Besides, I was coming over to see if you would like to learn how to use the telescope and get a closer look at the islands we are passing."

Wendy could not take her eyes off of the strange land masses they sailed passed. Islands with mountains reaching high above clouds in colors unnatural, islands no more than a boulder but inhabited by the tiniest of creatures Wendy had to quickly adjust the the telescope to see. Starkey showed her how to adjust the focus for longer and shorter range objects. Just as she aimed her sight stern side, Wendy gasped to see identical formations jutting out from an island they were about to come upon.  
  
“You see the twins?” Starkey asked.   
  
“Are those...are they alive?” Wendy asked, looking up to make sure it was not the telescope playing tricks on her.  
  
“Not much in the Neverlands that isn’t alive, Miss Darling,” Starkey laughed.

Despite being educated on the rudeness of staring, Wendy openly gawked at the two massive siren 'statues' they sailed by; towering figures seemingly carved of raw crystallized marble right into the jagged sides of two parallel cliffs with a natural waterway running between them. When Wendy had first spied them, their gaze was fixed on one another, but as the _Jolly Roger_ sailed passed, their gaze and, more startlingly, their heads shifted their focus onto the vessel. Wendy was petrified as she was unable break away from them. Their expressions were impassive, undoubtedly containing the secrets to the island they stood guard in front of. Wendy felt they were searching her, expunging all of her knowledge and extracting the very essence of her soul. When the _Jolly Roger_ finally sailed passed enough that they were out of sight, Wendy could finally blink and move.

"What happened?" She asked, more to herself as she clutched her bodice while her heart beat rapidly in her chest.

"Gotcha, did they?" Starkey asked with a nod. "Rumor has it they look down in your heart and soul, trying to suss out if you mean them ill-will. Word among the others is that should they mislike what they see in whoever they stare down, they'll begin to sing their fatal siren song."  
  
Wendy would have assumed such wild tales were popular pirate superstition, but having known the wonders of Neverland firsthand, Wendy now understood that anything was possible.

“Have you traveled to their island?” Wendy asked when she was finally released from the soul clenching grip.   
  
“No,” Starkey replied gravely. “Only reckless fools tangle with sirens on Anthemusa."

Feeling she had enough of sightseeing the strange chain of islands for the moment, Wendy excused herself to retreat in the cabin. Curling up at the back so she could still admire the retreating view while she enjoyed a book. After a while, the constantly motion began to lull her until Wendy began to nod off. When she opened her eyes next, Wendy noticed right away that something was off. Slipping off of the cushioned seats that doubled as storage, Wendy opened the door to the veranda and stepped outside. The ship was anchored - and though Wendy was stern side at the aft, she was awestruck to see more ships either anchored close by or sailing closer in the distance.

"Miss Darling?"

Wendy returned inside to see Mr. Starkey going to the cabinet she knew James kept weapon in. "Captain would like me to see you fitted with your weapons. Come here to me so that I might fit you with them."

As Wendy approached the quartermaster she could see his frustration as he sussed her out, circling her to examine every angle.

"Hmm. Sword is not an issue. Pistol...I am not sure. Are you taking anything else? A jacket, perhaps?"

"My shawl and a parasol," Wendy answered meekly, feeling embarrassed at her attire.

"Well those will be of no use to anyone, deary." He sighed. "I shall make due. Alright, love. Put your right foot upon that trunk and hoist your skirts."

"Excuse me?" Wendy gasped.

"Fear not, pet," James said, startling her as he had been watching from the open door. "Mr. Starkey has only a professional interest in your body. He cannot be persuaded by your womanly charms."

Wendy tried not to tremble as Starkey fitted her thigh with a tight leather garter with which to secure one of her daggers. No other man had ever seen her body so close and intimately. True to James' word, though, the "Gentleman" Starkey had an almost clinical way with her, straightforward and without a trace of even acknowledging her as a woman. He then taught her how to snuggle her smaller knife between her bosom in its silver sheath.

"It is the pistol I am having issue with," Starkey said to James as if Wendy were not present. "Unless you want me to fit her with a weapons sash?"

"Not like this. It would be all too easy for someone to grab them from her." James tilts his head, examining her. Wendy did not enjoy the scrutiny. "Just give me her pistol. I will carry it until she is more suitably attired. But belt up her sword. You will have to cross it twice around her waist."

"Right away." Starkey complied, handing him the pistol before looping the sword belt in an X shape around her waist. "There. You are an armed and dangerous lady now."

"Thank you," Wendy said, quickly collecting her shawl and parasol. She could tell Starkey disapproved of her more civilized accessories, but she cared not as she took James' offered arm and walked out with him.

 

* * *

 

“I would advise you to cease looking so wonderstruck, treasure, but your awe is my delight,” James teased lightly as he escorted Wendy down the dock and into town. She could not tear her gaze away from all of the interesting people, buildings and scenery.

"James, where are you taking me?" Wendy asked, suddenly aware that her man had a very distinct destination in mind as he tugged on her arm if she lagged behind to gawk. They had turned on a lane where a handful of stately filigree terrace homes upwards to five stories stood, each with a hanging lantern burning various colors of light, a new sight for Wendy to be transfixed by as they stepped upon a porch burning a bright violet flame.

"Right here, my love," he stated simply as he opened the front door and led her though into a lavishly decorated foyer.

"You cannot let yourself into other peoples homes!" Wendy hissed in his ear, terrified by the splendor they stood in and the deafening silence of the manor.

"We are expected," James merely replied, waiting. Closing her parasol and tucking it under her arm, Wendy drifted away from James to examine and admire the violent and cream marble flooring and Rococo furnishings.  

"Captain Hook," a voice rang above them. Wendy straightened to see a tall, buxom woman in a beautiful deep teal dress descend the sweeping staircase. James had removed his hat and stared up at the woman, a smile quirking that Wendy greatly misliked as she retreated to his side possessively.

"Lalita. A pleasure as always." James wrapped his arm around Wendy. "I have someone I wish for you to meet."

"Wendy Darling," Lalita finished for him, her sparkling amber eyes directly focused on Wendy as she walked forward, shoulders straight and head proud. She stood in front of Wendy now, who shrinks from intimidation by this stunning woman's stature and poise. Comparatively, Wendy painfully felt all of her young seventeen years, knowing she has only been pretending once again. Wendy swallowed a gasp as she was given a peck on each cheek before the woman stood back and examined her again. "She is everything you described her to be, James. Simply lovely."

Wendy did not like being discussed as if she were not standing there. Moreover, why had James been discussing her with this woman? And just who is this woman to James anyway? The more questions that flooded Wendy's mind, the more incessed she became.

"I thought you said I was to be exclusively referred to as Red-Handed Jill," Wendy stated coldly at James, ignoring the beautiful mystery woman.

"Lalita is our friend." He disentangled himself from her and took a small step back.

"What? Where are you going?" Wendy asked, perplexed.

"I have business to attend to that cannot wait. You cannot accompany me just yet."

Wendy held her tongue, but her expression was enough for James to realize she wanted to pick a fight with him.

"Lalita, would you please excuse us for a moment?"

"Please," she gestured to the French doors to her left. James nodded in gratitude as he swept Wendy into an extraordinarily decorated parlor that could accommodate at least fifty people comfortably.

"I told you that I had a chaperone for you during the times I could not be by your side."

Wendy grasped the lapels of his finely embroidered jacket and rested her head pleadingly upon his chest. "But I thought you meant Smee or Mr. Starkey. One of the men."

"Smee is guarding the _Jolly Roger_ with half of the crew and the others are waiting for me to join them with our inventory. Please, pet. I have known Lalita for a vast deal many years now and she is one of the very few people whom I trust with not just my life, but yours." He tilted her chin upwards with his hook. "That is an extremely short list."

"But _who_ is she?"

James hesitated. "She is a friend."

Wendy saw right through him. "She is more than a friend, isn't she?"

"Once, yes, but not since I realized how much I had grown to love you." He raised his knuckle to wipe away an angry tear hovering in Wendy's right eye. "In fact, it was Lalita who recognized my growing affection for you before I did. She helped me see what I was too blind to take notice of. She has always asked about you since and was also the instigator behind having you accompany me this time."

"You did not want me to join you?"

"Do not twist my words around, Wendy. You know how it irks me so. I am a greedy man, and I do not like eyes on what is mine. I also mislike having to divide my attention on duty versus pleasure." He grasped her bottom for emphasis. Smiling despite herself, Wendy slid her arms up his chest and around his shoulders as she stood on tiptoe to kiss him. She felt his barely controlled heat and passion in his bruising kiss and knew that he was telling her the truth. Even though Wendy knew James had lovers before her, it did not make it an easier pill to swallow when an old flame was standing not twenty feet away.

"The sooner I take my leave of you, the sooner I may return to you," he breathed heavily, his blue eyes piercing her hazels. Wendy finally concedes with a nod, releasing him. James pats her bottom in appreciation. "Besides. I do believe Lalita has a purposeful outing intended for you." He smiled secretly but refused to divulge more information. They returned to the foyer where Lalita was waiting, now with a beaded shawl pinned across her partially exposed breasts.

"Said our goodbyes, have we?"

"Aye," James replied, kissing Wendy on the crown of her head. "See that you take care of my most precious jewel."

"With my life, James. As promised." Lalita took hold of Wendy's hand and gently pulled her at her side. "Where would you like for us to meet you?"

"I will fetch her myself." James touched Wendy's face affectionately once more before placing his regal hat atop his head and taking his leave.

* * *

 

Wendy was taken out in the open streets this time, the broad street where the throng of the crowd was palpable and nearly everyone acknowledged Lalita as they passed.  
  
“You are a highly regarded woman,” Wendy observed with slight awe.  
  
“I am very involved in Dénete-town,” she said. “As a business woman, it is my duty to advise others and assist where I can.”  
  
The attention never strayed much to Wendy as they walked swiftly, Lalita a far more eye-catching presence. They entered an atelier with a distinct where a tailor and her two attendants rushed to greet them.

"Ah, Miss Lalita! Perfect timing, everything is ready for you and your new girl."

"She isn't mine, alas," Lalita sighs as she releases Wendy and sweeps passed her, handing her shawl off to an apprentice and falling onto an overstuffed settee. "I am merely borrowing her while her gentleman attends to his business. I promised him I would make a proper pirate out of her. As you can see, she is armed to the teeth, but the weapons lose their effect next to this pretty pink frock."

"What is wrong with my dress?" Wendy asked angrily, hands on her hips.

"Nothing, my sweet, but you are the fearsome Red-Handed Jill. You cannot go about looking like a rose fresh from finishing school when you are trying to inspire fear and respect in the hearts of these rogues."

"I suppose not," Wendy frowns, feeling very much like a child still pretending. She sighed and asked, "Is this what James asked you to do? Take me shopping so I can look my part?"

"Do not be harsh on him, or yourself, lovely girl. He understood that you cannot very well find the kind of apparel required of a fierce lady buccaneer where you hail from."

Wendy concedes and proceeds to undergo a fitting unlike any other she has gone through before. They measure her in places she has never been measured, outfitting her in pieces and materials she could only dream about, including her very first pairs of breeches. Their snugness shocked her, and she felt more nude and obscene than any time she had truly been without clothes. Lalita had her practice a few stances and parries in them until she found the correct pair in comfort, mobility and style. There were lace trimmed linen blouses with leather corsets atop them, buckles and lacings Wendy had never seen before. Belts and weapons sashes had been brought over prior to her arrival, each was tried and fitted with her various weapons until both Wendy and Lalita were satisfied. They took down her hair and rearranged it, intricately plaiting it while leaving some to cascade down just below her shoulders, taking enough volume off so they could affix hat after hat, like miniature versions of the majestic chapeaus Hook wore. She was, after all, a reflection of him. It was not until the footwear came out when Wendy began to suspect she had not been privy to a key piece of this puzzling affair.

"But how is it they all fit me perfectly?" Wendy asked as she walked the length of the shop in another set of heeled boots, giving her much needed height.

"I confess," Lalita sighed with a smile. "You paramour gave me a shoe and some other items of yours to use in preparation for this day. I was only unsure if you had grown since then, but thankfully you have only become more womanly in the areas that we took into consideration."

"That sneaky," Wendy mumbled, refusing to swear in front of the kindly tailor. _So this is what James gets up to when I dare to leave some personal effects behind?_

When she was done parading like a doll for them, the tailor and her apprentices went to hurriedly make notes and adjustments.   
  
"Where might be the other items I ordered for Miss Jill?" Lalita asked.

"In the back room," one of the apprentices answered with a nod. Lalita took Wendy by the hand again and led her through a heavy velvet drape where another smaller room held an assortment of garments that baffled Wendy.

"What are these...items?" Wendy asked, tilting her head as she looked curiously at all of the silk, lace and embroidered items. They were almost like undergarments...except they were missing components and practicality. She ran her hand over a sheer lace corset cover, or what she assumed to be one, trimmed in blue ribbon and pearls. There was another ruffled underbust stitched with flower embroidery work and little gemstones, sheer dressing robes with layers and layers and layers of ruffled silk or lace.

"These are also for you, Wendy. James did not request them, but I think every woman ought to have a collection of enticements with which to keep their lover rapt with imagination."

Wendy gasped as Lalita stood alarmingly close to her and cupped one of her breasts; Wendy closed her eyes and inhaled her lilac perfume, feeling dizzy. "I think I have captured your size, though you ought to try one or two pieces on. You shall take the lot, naturally. My gift to you."

"Why?" Wendy asked suspiciously. "We are not friends; there is no reason you should give me anything."

"I want us to be friends, Wendy. I have known Captain Hook a very long time and he has become a highly valued friend. Anyone who is special to him must be an extraordinary person, one worth making my dear friend."

Wendy held fast to the sash at the waist of the ruffled dressing robe she wore between fittings. "I...would not know how to put them on." Lalita touched her hands, easing them to relax so she could untie it.

"Fear not, my little dove, I am an expert."

Wendy could not bare the silence as she was made to undress and figure out all of these lingerie pieces. In the effort of friendship, Wendy attempted to make conversation.

"What brought you to the Neverlands?" Wendy tried.

"Oh, I was born here," Lalita replied congenially.   
  
"Were you?" Wendy gently exclaimed. "How splendid! What was it like, to grow up here?"

Lalita chuckled at Wendy's enthusiasm. "I know no other childhood to compare it to. My father was from Bombay, navigator to the great Kanhoji Angria, Master of the Arabian Sea. While evading the Portuguese and British, my father navigated the ship to Dénete. Here he met my mother, an Undine who fell in love with his dark eyes and moustache. He set us up quite nicely and provided very well. It was always happy days when he visited."

"That is a lovely romance," Wendy commented. "Were you raised in the house we visited you? I found the violet flame inside the lantern on your veranda to be very pretty. There were other curiously colored lights along your lane as well."

"Yes, they are to distinguish the desired establishments for our guests."

"Oh. What are their meanings?"

"Green is for men seeking men; blue is for women seeking the company of women. Pink is for women seeking the pleasure from men, while gold is for men seeking the expertise of women. The lilac you saw represents an establishment meant for people who enjoy the pleasures of both men and women. Sometimes at once."

Wendy's desire to fall through the floor and curl up in the darkness grew steadily as Lalita elaborated, revealing more than just the significance of colored lights. Wendy felt a fool, an utterly naive fool.

"There were no guests when we were there?" Wendy asked uneasily.  

"No. I was expecting James to bring you there so I cleared everyone off until tonight. James was very clear that he wanted as little people as possible to see you. Oh! I did not mean it so harshly as all that," Lalita swept over to Wendy and held her against her ample bosom. "No, dearest. I only meant that he wants you transformed into Red-Handed Jill before too many people spied Wendy Darling. He wants you to make a striking debut, and if I may say so myself, I do believe we have achieved an image that no one is sure to forget." She stood back and admired Wendy in the lacy undergarment. "Now. What do you think of that?"

"It is...meant to be this...impractical?" Wendy asked with a blush on her face. Her hostess held her by the shoulders and forced her in front of a full length oval mirror.

"Oh, yes. _Very_ impractical for anything other than seduction."

"Oh?" Wendy fidgeted. "I have never had issues with... _that_...before."

Lalita laughed robustly. "No, I imagine not. Still, you will find that life on a ship can grow stale after an age. Best to have some tools to keep the palate wet."

Wendy let her guard drop ever so slightly as she confessed, "I must seem awfully guileless to you."

Lalita cast her a knowing look as she held up a pair of silk short bloomers to Wendy's hips, eyeing their fit before nodding in satisfaction, adding it to a growing pile of similar garments.  

"I do not mind sharing a secret with you about your lover."

"I do not keep secrets from James," Wendy said haughtily, fully cognizant of the secret she was currently keeping from him, but wanting to make clear that she is not ready to be a full-fledged ally to this woman.

"It is a good secret, little dove," Lalita replied kindly, curling a stray lock of hair behind Wendy's ear. "Your Captain found himself absolutely besotted with you, but he was not equipped with the knowledge on what to do about it. He agonized figuring out how to love you properly."

"That does not sound like James. He always exudes confidence."

"You know he is a proud man. Moreover, he is especially proud of you."

Wendy digested on that food for thought as they finished up their business at the tailors. Lalita and the apprentices helped Wendy into her cream colored leather breeches, matching lace trimmed linen shirt with cornflower blue underbust corset before her sword was belted, her tiny dagger placed between her breasts again and her hand dagger in the sheath cleverly sewn inside the top of her thigh high brown leather heeled boots. Lalita finished tilting Wendy's cream colored hat with a single cornflower blue feather just so before stepping back to take in the sight of her.

"You do cut a very dazzling figure, Red-Handed Jill." Lalita raised her head and eyes to look beyond Wendy. "Would you not agree, Captain Hook?"

With a start, Wendy turned to look over her shoulder, spying James' eyes quickly raising their fixation on her ass.

"Unquestionably," he affirmed.

Wendy turned to face him; she could sense his vaguely concealed attraction as he continued to stare at her.

A loud snap made them start. James looked up, a smile twitching at his mouth.

"Does she meet your approval, Captain?"   
  
"My dear Lalita, I have always imparted on Red-Handed Jill that my approval is insignificant compared to her own. But since you asked: extremely."

"I thought as much," Lalita replied with a smug smile before directing the tailor. "Send all of these parcels at the ones in the back room to the Jolly Roger. Mr. Smee or Mr. Mullins will be there to collect them."

"Thank you, Lalita," Hook said.

"You can express your thanks by showing up to my dinner party _on time_ this evening." She gathered her belongings as well as Wendy's parasol and dress, handing them off to the tailor's assistants to pack up with Wendy's new wardrobe.   
  
"Consider it done," James said, removing Wendy's pistol and placing it snugly in her new weapons belt. "Shall we away?"  
  
As they entered the street and began walking, James suddenly tugged at her sleeve, pulling Wendy aside in an alley where he pushed her against a brick wall and claimed her mouth. Wendy shoved him away before giving him a crack across his face.

"How dare you ambush me like this!" Wendy hissed viciously. "What possessed you to withhold this little plot of yours from me? Yes, as your crew member, I will obey your command. But I am _not_ your little doll to simply hand off to another person; not only a stranger but a woman whom you have known intimately for a markedly good amount of time. You tell me nothing of her; I am completely unprepared for the information she unloads onto me. You put me in this horrid position and I will return home this instant if you do not swear to me now that you will never, ever treat me with such disregard again"

Gingerly, James touched his cheek and checked his jaw. "Gods you are getting too good at that. Ouch." After ascertaining that she did not inflict permanent damage, Hook leaned against the wall behind him and sighed, staring at her angry, pouting face. "I apologize, precious. I truly did not think you would mind; I thought that you would be relieved to have some female companionship at last."

"I would have been, had you bothered to inform me prior to our arrival."

His blue eyes look up searchingly as he says, "I am beginning to realize that these are not the sort of small surprises you enjoy."

"Certainly not."

"Lesson learnt, then." He touched his jaw again and winced. "Do try to contain your rage in public, my love; you never know who might be looking."

"Then do your part and try not to vex me so," Wendy said, folding her arms across her chest. _At this rate, I will return home and be only too happy to take Miss Stacey's offer. I cannot live with a man who will try to control me as Father does._

"By the by, you look ravishing."

Wendy could not help the smile creeping at the corner of her mouth or the blush from her cheeks. "Lalita has good taste."

"It is only missing one detail." From the inside pocket of his jacket he drew out a long, slim parcel and handed it to her. She opened it to see a pair of kid gloves: one cream colored, the other crimson.

"My Red-Handed Jill."

Wendy's anger dissolved. "Oh, James. I love them."

"And I love you in breeches."

"James!" She slapped him playfully with the gloves before slipping them on.

"How am I to ever inspire fear and command when I shall be too busy staring at your delicious ass."

 _"James,"_ Wendy chastised, though the flush on her face deepened.

"I am done with business for now; let us sneak off to some dark corner until we are meant to turn up for dinner."

"A dark corner?" Wendy scoffed as she took his arm and let him lead her. "Why can't we return to the ship?"

He groaned in protest. "It is too far when there are suitable accommodations. In fact, we ought to return to the Rue des Lumieres."

"The houses of ill-repute, you mean?"

"A schoolgirl wearing breeches and carrying no less than four weapons on her persons is not one to judge morality, pet."

"I was not condeming," Wendy argued. "I am amused by the ingenuity of the system Lalita has set in place. Although I do not see why we would return there." She eyed him suspiciously.  
  
"Trust me, love, I would take you in this very alley if there were not all of those,” He gestured at her outfit with his hook. “Obstacles.”

“I feel extremely exposed,” Wendy confessed under her breath as she followed him through the streets. Now that the sun was set well behind the horizon, the night was inspiring all sorts of festivities, and The Rue des Lumieres was in full swing, each lantern burning brightly on their respective porches.

“Lalita owns all of these establishments, not just the one,” James informed her as they casually strolled back to the Lilac House.

“Really?” Wendy was genuinely impressed. “She is a very enterprising woman.”

They entered the Lilac House again, James leaving her in the foyer to discuss logistics with a smartly dressed woman in very debonair male attire. Drifting towards the large parlour again, Wendy could see a dozen or so people through the sheer curtains of the French doors, lounging with drinks and having a merry time, even a couple playing chess by an empty hearth. It was much too warm a night for a fire. Wandering down the hall further into the Lilac House, Wendy approached an antechamber where a significant amount of sexual acts were going on amongst men and women of all sexual inclinations: two women on a billiards table resting their weight on their hands, their backs arched and legs overlapping as they grind their sexes together; a woman with two men inside of her as she suckled a third man; a man rutting against another young man while he plowed earnestly into a buxom woman who was concentrating on pleasuring a blonde woman with her tongue. A platinum blond man on all fours seemed to be enjoying the best of both worlds as he was rutted from behind but nurtured from the cock sucking redhead under him who also rubbed her clit.

Unsure what to feel about the salacious tableau before her, Wendy tilted her head and merely observed. She was neither turned on nor turned off; it was lovely to see such wanton acts, but they did nothing to inspire her. James found her, quietly at her shoulder as he watched her watching the room. He was unsure where this was going to lead, and he felt a slight unease settle over him.

"Do you wish to join?" He asked lowly in a neutral tone to indicate nothing of his own opinion. In truth, he was not especially eager to partake. Not that he hadn't in the distant past, but he was not ready to share this aspect of their relationship for any onlookers to drink in. Possessiveness gave way to a vast deal respect for their privacy. He was relieved to see Wendy shake her head _no_ once before turning from the room altogether, gingerly taking him by the hook and leading him away. He led her to their suite two floors up, bolting the door as Wendy set about removing her weapons and belt.  

“What sort of business did you take care of today?” Wendy asked. “I cannot imagine the entirety of the stock was sold at a market of some sort in just a few hours time.”

“No, no,” Hook shook his head as he unburdened himself from his jacket, waistcoat, boots, belt and weapons. “The Blue Moon Market begins tomorrow night. In truth, we do not have to attend to any business the first evening we arrive, but as we had an inordinate number of personal requests that required delivery and, more importantly, payment on delivery, Starkey and I have found that transactions are best taken care of at the beginning of the fete when purses are still full and excuses have not been trudged out.”  
  
“Oh, dear,” Wendy raised her brows playfully as she sat on the bed and set about to remove her thigh high boots. “That sounds like there is a story behind that remark.”

“The punchline being that I would rather have money in my pockets than spilt blood on my hook,” James said as he walked over to her, scooping her foot up as she fell onto her back with a yelp, and yanked off the boot with firm expertise. “I hate to take these off, but they are are another barrier to your flesh.”

Wendy lay on her side as she hungrily watched him take hold of her other foot. “I can always put them back on.”

“Temptress,” James growled as he chucked her boot onto the floor and sat down on the bed as he began to remove his shirt. Wendy mirrored him, going through her cornflower blue underbust first.

“James, what is an Undine?”

Her lover raised a curious brow to her. “Oh, she told you that? My, my, she is trying to earn your favor. An Undine is a woman of the water. Much like a nereids, Undines are water nymphs that dwell in waterfalls and pools of water. They can also travel between bodies of water and use water to spy on others.”

“Can Lalita travel through water?” Wendy asked, abandoning her loosened shirt to listen.   
  
“No, only full-blood Undines can, but I have seen her use it to eavesdrop on people. Comes in handy when one runs a series of brothels where men and women think they are safe to confess secrets of their nefarious acts.” He chuckled as Wendy looked around nervously, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. “Fear not, my love. No basins of water or decorative miniature fountains to be found here, not that she would spy on her friends.” He kissed her temple. “Now _do not_ go telling anyone about Lalita, especially that bit about the spying. Most humans are unaware of that particular talent.”

"My lips are sealed," Wendy vowed just as James bent forward to claim those sealed lips. She felt his intact hand slip inside her partially unbuttoned linen shirt, giving her left breast a tender squeeze. Wendy squirmed suddenly, prompting James to move back and stare at her curiously. "These breeches feel...odd."

"Then let us expel them from your person, my sweet." They worked together to unlace the breeches. Wendy lay back on the bolster as James slowly, with one hand wiggled and wormed her breeches off, freeing her legs at long last. Wendy watched James rid himself of his own black leather breeches, discarding them next to hers on the floor before stretching out next to her on the bed, his hand going back to its attention on her breast.

“What is this dinner we are attending?” Wendy asked between kisses.

“Are you not hungry, pet?”

“That is not my meaning, so cease with your awful jests.”

James curls a stray tendril from her face. “Lalita holds a dinner with many of the captains and other visiting guests she has prominent business or friendships with.”

“Are the two not mutually exclusive?”

“No,” James chuckled humorlessly. “So there will be some real bastards there.”

Wendy knitted her brow as she asked, “Any instructions for me?”

He nods earnestly. “Do not display any of your natural modesty to anyone but our hostess. Be wary of any verbal traps; they will all undoubtedly come at you from their unique angles, but I believe in your abilities, treasure.” He touched his fingertips to her lips before leaning in for another kiss.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Wendy coached his legs with hers until they were tangled together, their bodies caressing against one another.

Limbs intertwined, Wendy hooked a leg over his hip, grinding her desire roughly against his hardened cock. Gripping her thigh, Hook held her at just the perfect angle for him to thrust into her. She vocalized the gasp on both of their lips as they set about a steady rhythm, their open mouths on one another, working themselves up to a feverish rutting. Suddenly pulling their bodies upright into a sitting position, Wendy wrapped slim legs around his waist and held fast to his neck as he firmly cupped her right buttock, assisting her as she worked herself on his prick.

“James,” Wendy whimpers as she rides him. “I am not as confident in myself as you seem to be...”

“Then play act it,” he advised wincing as her fingers caught on his curls and tugged cruelly. “Else they will suss out weakness and exploit it.”

“Do they not fear and respect you?”

“Yes, but you are separate from me in this respect. Now, should they insult your honor, I shall be forced to intervene.”

Wendy moaned against his ear, “I have given the entirety of my honor to you.”

“Which is why it is mine to defend,” James declared, capturing her lips again. After a bruising kiss, he pulled back and stared into her hazy, lust filled eyes. “I am going to fuck you every which way this whole adventure, my Darling girl. I’ll send you back to that school with a cunt so satisfied and sore you will be unable to cross your ankles like a good girl.”

Wendy tossed her head back and groaned, her nails digging into his shoulder while gripping tightly to the leather strap of his harness.

“I have never truly been a good girl.”

James leans in close, the tips of their noses touching as he retorts, “And I love you for it, my Wendy Darling.”

That was enough to steer Wendy to the precipice of bliss. Wrapping her right arm tightly to maintain balance, Wendy’s left hand delved between them to rub her clit.

“Yes, James, yes yes more I love you, yea yes yes yes!”

She clung to him like a vice as he ejaculated inside of her with a shuddering moan. Their lips found one another again, locking as she pumped her hips, draining every last drop of him.

“Oh, my treasure,” he sighed as he brushed the flyaways away from her sweaty forehead. They collapsed into a heap together on the bed, laughing as she struggled to brush the hair away from her mouth and eyes. As they regained their breath, Wendy began to idly trace shapes against his tanned and scarred skin.

“When must we join the others?”

“Not for a while yet. More than an hour.”

“How does one tell time here? Is it by the same methods as on a ship?”

James pointed past them, prompting Wendy to crane her neck and spy a little silver clock sitting atop a bureau.

“Oh.”

“Time, or rather the method of telling time as in assigning hours and such is a human concept. While this time reflects and matches none from the World at Large, it is the way in which the denizens of Détente has agreed to assign time. We can tell the time by the sun’s position, as I have taught you, and hours are subsequently counted from there.”

“And the clock does not upset you?”

“I killed that infernal beast,” he explained with a devious glint in his eyes. She splayed a hand on his cheek and kissed him.

“My clever lover.”

“Your tired lover,” James yawned as he rolled onto his back. “Ah, girl, the business of the day, the journey, and you have worn me out. Let us rest awhile before we partake in any revelry.”

“Agreed, Captain,” Wendy said as they slid under the covers to snuggle against one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Thanks for your patience. I was working nonstop and went on vacation, to a place with little internet connection. Plus I did not bring my laptop. I was able to get a lot of writing done, though, and complete this chapter and half of the next chapter. :) I hope you're enjoying the story.


	3. Chapter 3

“Turn.”

Wendy slowly spun around so Captain Hook could examine her from every angle.

“Hmmm...” he stroked his chin. “God, what an arse...”

“Focus, James.”

“Yes, yes.” He sighed.

Stepping forward, he fidgeted with her leather weapons harness, ensuring her pistol was tightly secured, their jewels polished enough to catch the light. Confirming the hilt of her dagger was noticeable between her breasts and every buckle and seam was straightened, James stood back and nodded.

“Beautiful and deadly. My favorite combination in a woman.”

Wendy blushed as she fitted her gloves on, the supple kid leather already conforming to her hands like a second skin.

“Yes?” Wendy asked hands on her hips knowing it was sink or swim.

The wolfish look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know about his thoughts.

“Oh, yes.”

She eyed him with a smiling warning, taking his offered arm as he led her out of their suite. With a shake of his head, James led Wendy away from the main staircase, Gently tugging her further down the corridor and around the bend to another staircase. Delighted by the mystique of it all, Wendy followed, marveling at the solver and brushed gold wallpaper with a flocked lilac pattern. They descended to the ground floor where double doors were opened for them by a smartly dressed footman, leading out to a stunningly gorgeous garden.

“It is just like the Queen of Hearts' garden,” remarked Wendy.

“Who?”

“From _Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland_.”

“Oh, yes,” he mumbled, vaguely remembering the book she brought with her one visit long ago. “The one with the cat.”

“James, look!” Wendy gasped, spying a woman’s head from the nose up peeping at them from over the rim of a moss covered water fountain spoiled with water lilies. James turned just in time to see two bulbous watery blue eyes sink into the water.

“Undine,” he explained calmly, guiding Wendy on. “They are curious when there is a sudden influx of people. And they like the company of human men.”

“Not _this_ human man,” Wendy said possessively. James patted her reassuringly before continuing on to a large pavilion where a dinner party was already getting started.

His lips were suddenly against her ear as he quickly whispered, “Oh, and do not stare.”

“Stare? I do not _stare_ \- why would,”

“Good evening, Captain Hook! It is lovely to see you again.”

“Rabi, a delight as always.”

Wendy blinked as she took in the sight of the rosy cheeked woman who met them at the entrance. At first glance it seemed her hair was decorated with flowers and vines, but upon closer inspection (that was most definitely _not staring)_ , Wendy realized her hair was flowers and vines, all intricately curled and twisted into a familiar fashionable hairstyle, as if copied directly from the latest issue of _Vanity Fair_. Her skin possessed a pearlescent sheen, and her green eyes were too luminescent to be human.

“We are not too late, I presume?”

“I do not believe so,” she replied airily. “Especially when you have such a charming peace offering. Red-Handed Jill, I presume?”

“How do you do?” Wendy took her hand and felt the petal satin kiss on her cheek, inhaling the scent of jasmine, lilacs and tuber roses.

Hook led Wendy inside to a robust crowd of various people, with Lalita sitting at the head of the long table. The same mysterious lights illuminated the pavilion as they hung from a nest of long, arching branches and twigs. Along the center of the ceiling was patches of moss dotted with tiny blooms and more lights. A towering stone fireplace stood at the back, a respectable fire crackling orange and yellow in its hearth.

"I have been reassured by your other half that we are perfectly on time," Hook said defensively as he and Wendy approached their seated hostess.  
  
“You may not be as late as in years past, but look, your quartermaster squirms in his seat waiting for you, you fiend,” Lalita joked from her queenly seat as she offered her cheek and hand to James and Wendy.

At this, halfway down the table, Starkey turned, his long single braid whipping around. Wendy braved herself tightly against James side as a good many of the guests turned to notice the new arrivals, acknowledging their presence with a raised drinking vessel or rising to their feet to greet them in full. Trying to keep her expression neutral so as not to offend nor display her own feelings of ineptitude, Wendy nearly started as she heard a booming voice say to James:

“About time the tide dragged you away from that nasty patch of land!" A hulking bear of a man approached them, burly arms open wide for an embrace before stopping just short of Wendy. "Oh, whose is this now? I have never seen your pretty pearl before, James.”

Wendy flushed angrily, loathing when people spoke of her as if she were not fully cognizant. Aunt Millicent and Father did that to her and she would be damned before this otherwise jovial looking man with his fiery red hair and plaited beard did it to her. She raised a brow at the stranger and frowned.

“Oh, she does not like that,” said the stately woman next to him. Robust, strong, with wild wavy black hair and large, dark eyes and an intricate pattern of white dots on her cheekbones, this woman exuded confidence as she stared Wendy directly in the eyes. “Perhaps you have offended her delicate sensibilities.”

“On the contrary,” Wendy sharply replied. “There is nothing delicate about me.”

James quickly intervened, slipping an arm around Wendy’s lower back.

“This is my paramour, Red-Handed Jill. This is Captain Kailani of the _Storm Breaker_ , and her navigator and husband, Domhnall Allaghlas.”

The elation of meeting her first female pirate captain was only eclipsed by the fact that she could not openly express her admiration. They clasped arms, Wendy resisting the urge to wince from Cap. Kailani’s grip. The pairs made their way to their seats, the couple sitting directly across from them, Wendy between James and Starkey.

“Paramour, eh?” Domhnall red mustache twitched with humor. “You and your fancy words tell us nothing, James. Is she wife or wench?”

Wendy’s eyes blazed as she heard Starkey’s snort next to her.

“Clearly she is wife,” Cap. Kailani replied with authority. “Else wise Captain Hook would not bring her here.” James conceded to this with a single nod. “But you have been awfully secretive about her,” Kailani continued with noted disapproval.

“I am a man of a great many mysteries,” Hook replied dryly.

“I am impressed,” Kaolani said before narrowing her eyes suspiciously. “How many children are you two hiding?”

Wendy burned with embarrassment, realizing Captain Kailani was in earnest. Calmly, James raised the wine glass before him and saluted as he answered, “None, it pleases me to say.”  
  
"Are you new to the Neverlands?" Domhnall asked pleasantly.  
  
"Oh, no," Wendy replied, hopefully with more confidence than she was feeling in that moment.   
  
“And who have you sailed with, lass?” 

“No one of importance,” Wendy replied slyly before tilting her head to look at her lover. “Until now.”

James leaned over and kissed her.

“You are young,” Kailani declared, leaving little room in her tone for argument. “Younger than you are attempting to appear.”

“Looks can be deceiving in the Neverlands,” Wendy stated with her head held high.

“Speaking of children,” James tactfully interrupted. “Where is your heaping tribe of urchins?”  
  
The question sent the couple bickering about the whereabouts of an apparently substantial brood of children, allowing Wendy to relax momentarily.

“You look most impressive,” Starkey complemented Wendy in her ear.

“Thank you,” Wendy replied before all conversation was interrupted as the last stragglers arrived and quickly took the remaining seats. Lalita stood, opening her arm to receive the otherworldly greeter, Rabi, and pull her close in such an intimate way that Wendy immediately understood their relationship.

“Friends from far away and compatriots, thank you so much for joining me in another Blue Moon Fête. This dinner is a token of my appreciation for your patronage and partnership. You keep the Neverlands and Dénete-town thriving and I would like to ask everyone to raise your drinking vessel as a gesture of our commitment to our ever deepening relationships.”

Everyone followed suite, and Wendy made sure not to make a face at the alcohol on her tongue when she drank.  

“You imbibed,” James remarked with surprise. He oft teased Wendy for her temperance attitude towards alcohol.  

“I have been known to partake in a libation from time to time, Captain Hook,” Wendy replied primly. “Especially when I am dining with the Hightowers. I take polite sips of each drink poured.”

Courses appeared, in a familiar order to Wendy though the food itself was mostly foreign to her palate. Ever the polite guest, she tasted everything put before her and found most of it extremely agreeable. Surprisingly, she found it very palatable from the chilled Botvinia soup, to the fish seasoned with lemongrass and coriander, even the game meat Wendy was told came from a nearby island. There was much laughter and boisterous joviality that James nearly missed the sneering looks from a dark blond man at the corner of the table, sitting two down from Rabi’s left.

“There is a man scowling at me,” Wendy whispered during the roast course.

“Ignore him.” James replied without even looking up to see whom she meant. Time passed and Wendy was too engrossed in conversation with the _Storm Breaker_ couple and exchanging small affections with James that she forgot the man until he spoke.

“That is quite the polished jewel you have at your side, Hook.”

James looked up from his meal and Wendy’s attention to glance curiously at a glowering man with tight dark blond curls and a goatee.

“I am sure you are aching to hear my curiosity as I inquire at your meaning, Captain Scarsi, but alas, you shall have to settle for disappointment. Much as you have in every aspect of life.”

Starkey snorted into his ale as Wendy glared at her lover. Domhnall’s laughter drew curious glances and even Kailani smirked over the rim of her cup.

“I do wonder how long it took you to rub and polish her to get her to shine to your exacting standards.”

“James,” Wendy warned as she sensed her lover tense. “Let it go.”

James leaned forward, prompting the other man to mirror his action.

“I will not insult our hostesses with undue carnage. If you insist on carrying on and letting your cups consume your common sense, we shall be forced to take matters into our own hands. As it stands, under the roof of our friends, let us say no more and enjoy the evening with our friends.”

The captain sneered but did not continue the conversation further.

 

* * *

 

Afterwards, Captain's Hook and Kailani led their party to a tavern where crew members of the _Jolly Roger_ , _Storm Breaker_ and a few straggler allies were already carousing.

“We are loyal patrons,” James explained to Wendy as he and Kaolani took the best seats in the house overlooking the merriment. Emboldened by the festivities and maybe the wine from dinner, Wendy took a demanding perch on James’ lap, sliding her arms around his neck as she eyed a working girl dangerously making her way towards them. The sex worker understood, taking a sharp left in her route and grabbing on to a swarthy member of the _Storm Breaker_ instead.

“Hello, precious,” James cooed as Wendy straddled his thighs and raked her nails against his scalp. Her chest pressed against his and he cupped her bottom. She buried her face against his neck and felt his breath as he spoke lowly so only she could hear him.

“I would have you over my knee, spanking your lily arse to show these fools what they can never have.”

“You are far too possessive for such a wanton display,” Wendy teased.

“Hm. You are probably correct on that assessment.”

“Of course,” Wendy dotted his neck with kisses, working her way up to his ear where she breathed, “This does not mean I cannot chose to display myself.”

James raised his brow at this. “Here? Now?”

“When the opportune moment arises.”

She then turned to sit sideways in his lap, an arm anchored around his neck for purchase and to keep contact.

“Ah, young love,” Domhnall sighed at the sight of them. He nuzzled his wife's hair, inhaling deeply as he remarked, “Remember when we were fools like that, my dear?”

“No,” Kailani replied stoically, prompting uproarious laughter from her husband and the other couple.

The crews mingled in their shared merriment, teaching each other bawdy or tragic ballads and singing their favorites. If Wendy had thought James used vulgarities liberally, they were child’s play compared to the salacious word play of most of the sing-songs. She held onto James as they swayed to the tune, occasionally tasting the ale on his lips whenever they paused to kiss. Even Kaolani was loosening up, bobbing her head and tapping her feet if the melody inspired her.

“Why was that man at dinner so keen on upsetting us?” Wendy asked as she lightly fed grapes to herself and James while she curled in his lap. The night was thinning with the crowd, only half as rowdy as before. A duet of fiddlers played while smaller groups broke off to talk or play cards.

“Captain Scarsi is a man who cannot bear to see others thrive. He detests joy. He loathes festivities.” He tapped Wendy’s nose with the tip of his hook. “And love cannot pierce his black heart.”

“He has no heart,” Domhnall contributed after a large swig of ale. “He gave it to Celo, the Queen of Sirens on Anthemusa Island in exchange for safe passage to hide from his enemies.”

Wendy glanced at James dubiously.

“And he abhors women.” Kailani added with a stiff sniffle. “He certainly hates to see one in command or with a shred of power.” 

“But he does business with Lalita,” Wendy countered in puzzlement. 

“Business. No pleasure. No friendship.”

“Steer clear of him and his crew,” James ordered, giving her a bounce for emphasis. Wendy nodded.

 

* * *

 

When everyone was well into their cups and the sky was at its darkest just before it would begin to pale, everyone vacated the tavern and began to disperse. Kailani kept her husband propped up with one impressively strong arm as she bade the _Jolly Roger_ crew farewell.

“We will see you at the Blue Moon Marketplace.”

“Yes,” James nodded, his own arm around Wendy’s waist. Wendy could tell he was drunk, but he was the most somber and capable drunk present.

“And the Fete?”

“Yes,” James agreed with another nod.

Kaolani mirrored his nod once to her peer and once to Wendy, who was quick to return it, this time with a little smile.

“Come on, boys,” Kailani ordered. Several members of her crew quickly grasped their navigator as the Captain released him. They walked off down a fog entrenched lane. Starkey headed the pack of _Jolly Roger_ crew with James and Wendy at the rear. The other men seemed to slip further ahead of them until Wendy felt herself being tugged into a dark alley. She was pushed roughly against a crate that she jumped up back onto, spreading her legs for James to fit himself between. Three hands and a very mindful hook loosened breeches, shimmying leather down to thighs as they grabbed and worked at a feverish pace.

“Oh!” Wendy cried when she was roughly pulled forward, sheathing James' prick in one swift motion. Holding his shoulders as she was thoroughly fucked, Wendy closed her eyes and tilted her head back, lost in sensation.

“More, more, more,” she chanted. Yanking her off the crate as quickly as he had pushed her onto it, James spun her around and pushed her torso against the brick and wood beams of the building while pulling her hips back. With one grunting thrust, he was inside her again, making her moan as he circled her hips and plowed into her deeply. Licking her lips, Wendy used one hand to brace against the wall while the other slipped downward to stimulate her begging clit. It was chilly and filthy to have sex in such a place, but Wendy loved it all the same.

“Oh, James, yes, there! I’m going to come, yes, yes, yes!”

She came just as he abruptly pulled out, pushing her down to her knees to receive his come inside her open mouth. After they sorted their clothes out, James and Wendy embraced before walking back to the _Jolly Roger_.

 

 

* * *

  
It was late afternoon when they woke. James opened his eyes first, though they were dry and in need of hydration. He could not recall anything passed walking up the gangplank of his ship just as the sky began to pale, Wendy at his side. They somehow managed to rid themselves of their clothes and collapse into bed at least. Glancing at his lover, James smiled slightly to see her curled up on her side, still deeply asleep. She was beautiful and he knew not why she ever decided to bestow her love and companionship to him. Just looking at her made him proud and humbled - among other stirring emotions.

Rolling onto his side to spoon her, James tenderly kissed her shoulder, neck, ear, until she moaned in some semblance of wake. Turning to glance at him over her shoulder, Wendy received a good morning kiss before demanding in a sleep addled voice, “I want you inside of me.”

Her command was law in the confines of their bed, and James was only too pleased to oblige her. She closed her eyes and groaned as he entered her, holding her body against his chest as he thrust in deeply, quaking her petite body. Bowing his head against her shoulder, James’ propulsions became quicker and shallower with his breath as he felt his climax build.

“Fuck, my darling girl,” he gasped as he came deeply inside of her.

Rolling onto her back, Wendy took his intact hand and guided it beneath the cover to her sex.

“Touch me like you did when I was a little girl.”

Obediently, James sprinkled her with kisses as he expertly worshipped her clit to absolution.

“You miss being a little girl?” He asked as he teased her, watching her breath rise and fall with an impending climax. 

“Sometimes,” she admits quietly. “I felt safe in the shadow of your imposing figure. Now, I am at your side. I like it, but it is different.”

James understood her position better. She always had a way with words, weaving a mental illustration for him when his own imagination was lacking. Tenderly, he kissed her reassuringly.

“You will always be my little girl, Wendy.”

He kept his hand on her through a quaking orgasm, rubbing her until she shrieked through another and pleaded for his mercy. Kissing her cheek, James then gently lay on top of her as their hearts regulated.

“I would stay with you here all evening if we could, but we must rise and set out quite soon.”

Hoisting himself out of bed, James left her to idle and lounge as he went to rouse a crew member for food. He was surprised that food had been already laid out for them. It must have been Smee or Starkey; only those two knew how to keep themselves quiet enough. Although James misliked the idea of anyone creeping around his cabin when his woman was asleep and vulnerable. It was a lovely gesture, but he will insist that food will be left outside their door during Wendy’s visits.

After they ate, bathed and dressed, James instructed Wendy to pack herself whatever necessities she required for a five day excursion away from the _Jolly Roger_.

“We are not returning to the ship for sleep?” Wendy asked, unsure she understood.

“Correct. We will have temporary quarters elsewhere. So, lay out whatever you wish and I will see that one of my crew packs it for us in a shared trunk.”

Wendy bristled at the thought of another man even _looking_ at her clothes, especially the clothes Lalita chose for her in the back room at the tailors.

“I shall pack my own possessions, thank you very much,” Wendy replied primly. “Just direct me to which trunk we will use.”

“Wendy,” James began to protest.  
  
“James, I am a woman and women have women’s things!” Wendy raised her voice to a tone that indicated this was not a point on which she was willing to argue.

Raising hand and hook in defeat, James silently pointed with his hook to the trunk in question. Wendy nodded and set about her task. After selecting an array from her new wardrobe, and a few dresses for her own comfort, Wendy made sure James was not looking when she removed her _other items_ from their brown paper wrappings, carefully tucking them under the rest of her clothes on her side of the trunk. Once their provisions were taken care of, James escorted Wendy back into town along with a small entourage of _Jolly Roger_ crew members, including Starkey and Laddie, who was as wonderstruck as Wendy when they arrived at the Blue Moon Market, an open air bazaar of oddities and mundane items alike.

"Mundane for you, pet," James said when Wendy inquired why such small items like magazines and cosmetics would sit side by side jars full of pixie dust, mermaid scales, and gnome mushrooms. "But for many of us, we are unable to return to the world at large and these items are not produced here in the Neverlands."

They popped by the stall of their goods, which was supervised by Rabi and two other women.

"The ladies products are selling fast," Rabi informed James, who gave a knowing look to Wendy.

"Excellent. You know to alert us if there are any problems. I must take my darling Jill shopping, for this is her first Blue Moon Market."

Even though Hook was almost bored of the same people, sights, smells and merchandise, he was amused to see everything fresh through Wendy's youthful awestruck eyes. She tugged him to follow at nearly every stall, wanting to examine everything meticulously.

"Oh, how exquisite," Wendy cooed as she was drawn to a set of mother-of-pearl inlaid hair combs.

"Buy them." James ordered coolly. 

"What would I do with a set of five?"

"They are all different shapes and sizes," James pointed out. "Wear whichever strikes your fancy in that moment. Surely you do not need me to show you how they are utilized."

"Of course not."

James drew out a red velvet pouch of coins as he sighed heavily. "They make you happy. Your happiness is everything to me. Here." He pressed the pouch into her hands. "Haggling is encouraged."

"Haggling? No, no, I could not. Well...I could give one to Mother, and another to Prudie, as a thank you for assisting us..."

He was already paying the hookah-smoking fire elf behind the table. Someone wrapped them, though Laddie quickly grabbed the smallest comb and placed it in Wendy’s hair before his shyness overtook him again.

“Thank you, Laddie,” Wendy said, touching the comb, peeping out from under her tilted hat. The boy blushed and took the parcel from the vendor to carry in his leather satchel. Hook and Starkey rolled their eyes at the boy's puppy level adoration and continued onward. Wendy eventually felt confident enough to stray away, turn down different lanes of stalls, always with Laddie trailing closely behind to carry anything she may decide to purchase.

“That boy will not be able to defend her should anyone attempt anything,” Starkey warned his captain.

“She can defend herself, and you know it.”

Starkey misliked her straying so far, still seeing Wendy as a little girl, but differed to his captain as usual. “Alright. I have some items I must hunt for Smee and Cookson.” Starkey reluctantly turned from the disappearing figures and focusing on his own tasks.

Wendy’s relationship to shopping has never been a close bond; she mostly let herself be dragged around from shop to shop by Aunt Millicent, Mother, and Prudie. With the freedom to browse and display interest in merchandise she liked and pass over others, Wendy was growing more confident in the experience. She found items for her family and friends back home: freshwater pearl powder for Prudie, for John and Nibs to share Wendy bought leather oil and a collapsible nautical telescope whose viewer would mysteriously find the North Star glowing; a pocket knife that never dulled for Toodles, fountain pens that utilized the rare non-smearing ink of a Neverland plant for Slightly and Father, a manicure set and pair of silk lace trimmed handkerchiefs embroidered with exotic Neverland flora in one corner for Aunt Millicent. For Mother, Wendy bought a handful of items: pearl-trimmed gloves, perfume, a lovely bracelet made from the body of a silver spoon expertly worked and curved, and a gorgeous hatpin topped with a trio of diamond studded gold stars. For Michael, Wendy knew a Doubloon or two would suit him nicely. For James, Wendy had a far more discerning eye. Nothing was good enough, and she scrutinized every item that was shoved under her nose by all too eager merchants.

She stopped at a chemist, delighted to see they had a selection of men and women's eau de cologne.

"How about this? No, no, this! Aha, I have just the right scent." The salesman puttered all over, giving her stopper after stopper to whiff. She made Laddie sniff them until the boy began to sneeze and had to drift over to the next stall until his sinuses cleared.

"Madam has such a keen nose," The salesman complimented, eyeing the **JR** burned into the side of her pistol. "Ah, you are the mistress of Captain James Hook!"

Wendy drew herself up, rounding her shoulders as her eyes blazed at the man. "The only mistress you will find my husband keeps is the _Jolly Roger_ herself, sir."

“A thousand pardons, madam," the man bowed his head in sincere regret. Wendy felt a twinge of guilt but also respect for the man who knew humility. Softening her expression, Wendy plucked the vial of the cologne.

"My instinct keeps pulling me back to this scent. I know my lover enough to know it will take well to his flesh."

"Ah, excellent choice. Leather, spice, and a touch of burnt parchment. I shall gift it to you."

"No, that is quite alright. I will pay."

"After my arrogant assumption? I should not think of it!"

"You must eat, kind sir. Your apology was payment enough."

"Let us strike a deal. You pay for that vial and choose one for yourself with my compliments."

"Only if I may tell everyone whom compliments my new fragrance of the chemist I purchased it from."

"Deal."

Wendy set about sniffing again, too engrossed to notice the two men lurking not far behind, waiting just for this moment when their target was distracted before striking. Tearing through the crowd, two knives flashed in the corner of Laddie's eyes.

"Miss Jill!" He cried just as his leather bag was cut at the bottom, the contents spilling out onto the street. Wendy turned just as she felt her leather harness snap and plummet. She was not quick enough; the butt of her pistol slammed onto the ground, triggering the mechanism as a loud bang  echoed across the confused and panicked crowd. The bullet shot into the air, but Wendy was quicker this time, ripping off her hat and tipping it upside down as she ran to its projected target, shoving whomever she needed to to ensure their safety.

"Move, out of the way, quickly!" Wendy shouted as she spied the lead ball on its lethal its descent. Clamoring atop a stack of exotic fabrics, Wendy stretched upward. The lead ball blew a hole through her hat, but the material was thick enough to slow the bullet down as it ricocheted off a pile of brocade and plopped harmlessly onto the ground.

"Mistress Jill, are you all right?" Laddie asked, his arms full of her purchases.

Breathless from fright and her own actions, Wendy nodded. "Did you see who did it?"

"Crew members of the _Darkest Night_ ," the male pair of the fabric merchants replied.

"Captain Scarsi's ship," Laddie added.

Wendy carefully climbed down from the mountain of fabric, apologizing to the husband and wife merchants for her disruption. The brocade was singed, and in her guilt, Wendy bought the meter and gave them extra coins for their troubles. They tried to refuse, but Wendy insisted.

"It was my pistol that was inadvertently shot into the air, and I must make restitution for that." It was important to Wendy how the townsfolk perceived her, and James and the _Jolly Roger_ by extension. Business will not hurt over her misdeeds! They accepted her remuneration before Wendy returned to the chemist, scared out of his wits and eager to be rid of his new customer. Wendy made quick work of choosing a fragrance for herself (linden blossom) before saying her farewells and pulling Laddie close as they left swiftly.

"Let us find our Captain and inform him what has transpired."

"Mr. Starkey will whip me if he found out I was unable to protect you," Laddie pouted as he hung his head in resignation to his fate.

"He most certainly will not," Wendy stated as she helped Laddie carry his leather bag and place her purchased items carefully back into it. "He will be proud that we avoided any casualties. As will our Captain."

 

* * *

 

"Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"James," Wendy scolded. They stood outside in the shadows of the tavern they had enjoyed well the night before, just off to the side of the building well away from the many ears on the street walking by.

"You should have bolted the moment your gun fell; you had no notion where the barrel was pointed. It could have fired at you directly in the face! You could have been killed."

"I was not killed, though." She rounded her shoulders haughtily as she added, "As a matter of fact, I prevented anyone from being harmed."

"Dumb luck," Starkey said, his only comment after listening to the whole story with his arms tightly crossed against his chest. "The ball could have gone anywhere depending on the wind." Scrunching up his eyes and rubbing them, Starkey let out a frustrated growl. "What is to be done, Captain? Tell the Council?"

"We shall let this infraction slide. No one was harmed, save for minor contusions to our egos. Although this chemist may be someone to have a conversation with, as well as the textile merchants. Should the captain and crew of the _Darkest Night_ give us any more grief, it would be handy to have some impartial witnesses to speak on our behalf if the Denete Council is brought into matters." He raised his brow to his quartermaster. "What say you?"

"Agreed. But I would speak with these merchants sooner rather than later."

"Be off with you, then, and meet us at the bonfire."

Starkey nodded once before heading back towards the Marketplace. Hook stared down at Laddie, whose mind had drifted off, leaving him unaware of the severe glowering until he felt it, giving a violent start.

“Do you not have some matter to attend to elsewhere, boy?”

Laddie clutched the leather satchel tightly against his chest, making sure to cover the slit as he stood up. “I-uh, can deliver these to the _Jolly Roger_.”

“Thank you, Laddie.” Wendy said sweetly.

“Return to Mr. Starkey at the beach unless Smee or Mullins instruct you otherwise,” James snapped as the boy disappeared, nodding hastily.

“You are terrible,” Wendy lightly chided as she smoothed her hand over his chest. “He was such a help to me, you know.”  
  
“I am aware,” James said, slipping his arms around her waist. “I merely do not want it to go to his head.” He kisses her and releases her. “We are losing light. Let us away to the beach and turn our thoughts to more pleasant matters.”

Wendy took his arm and kissed him before teasing: "And yet I recall you declaring yourself void of pleasant thoughts."

"They are at their happiest only when they contain you, my treasure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so plot heavy. I hope it is a change up you enjoy? I mean, don't worry - smut is going to be gratuitous in the following chapter. Thanks for reading and commenting. You can find me on tumblr --> http://www.geek-girl-extraordinaire.tumblr.com


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wendy's first Bonfire Fete.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter got scraped and spliced quite a bit, so I am hoping it still reads cohesively. I was hoping to have this fic wrapped in 5 chapters, but that is definitely not going to happen because I love writing all of these small scenes SO much. Ugh. Still rooting for less than 10 chapters, though.

If Wendy thought the Blue Moon Market was a sight to behold, she was completely bowled over by the exotic carnival of the Bonfire at Détente beach. Utterly mesmerized, Wendy stepped forward to join the merriment and music and crowds gathered around two dozen blazing bonfires, only to be caught at her wrist and pulled back by James.

"Soon, treasure. I promise. Let me first show you to our site so that you and I may change into attire more fitting to a beach environment."

He walked her along the edge of the beach where it met a strip of thicket, not unlike the jungle forest of Neverland where it snugly hugs the white sand beaches. They passed tents, painted traveler wagons, and other small encampments peeping out from the woods. Tromping through some brush not far from the beach or neighbors, but tucked deeply enough to afford privacy, Hook and Wendy finally arrived at their own site.

"Oh, James," Wendy whispered breathlessly. The clearing had rope along its perimeter, just above James' height, strung with the same mysterious magical lights and patterned fabric to use as curtains for extra privacy. A small but respectable fire pit had been dug at the center of the site, with a pile of kindling already at its side. Unquestionably, the showstopper was the grand pavilion tent. It stood on a raised wooden platform with enough excess space to have a porch of sorts. Jaunting up the stairs leading within, Wendy discovered a stately log frame bed covered in mismatching blankets and furs, with more patterned textiles draped from the cloth walls and ceiling for a dramatic effect. The wooden floor of the platform was covered in overlapping rugs, and at the foot of the bed sat the trunk Hook and Wendy packed earlier. A dresser with a mirror stood at one end of the tent, while a coal burning stove stood at another, its shiny pipe leading up to a special vent in the tent.

"This is where we shall be staying over the next week?"

"I apologize for its rustic state. It is not as protected from the elements or luxurious as our cabin,"

"I love it!" Wendy squealed. "It's splendid."

James smiled and leaned on a post. "I am glad it pleases you."

"Where will the rest of the crew stay?" Wendy asked.

"Half on the _Jolly Roger_ ," James answered with an offhand, dismissive gesture. "Others not terribly far from this site, and some will make due depending on the company they seek. There ought to be barrels of fresh water and another trunk of provisions around back. I shall return. I recommend changing your attire to something more suitable for sand."

"Yes, dear," Wendy said absently as she fell to her knees to rummage through their trunk. She removed her slippers, figuring they would be the wisest footwear for walking along a beach. Definitely _not_ her boots. Removing her unmentionables from the trunk to place them into the dresser, Wendy was suddenly seized with an idea.

Finding the barrels exactly where his crew had left it, James took out the kettle, two cups, and tin of tea before setting to building a fire and adding some freshwater to the kettle to boil. The bonfire could wait while he and Wendy shared a nice cup of tea before an onslaught of socializing. Noticing that she had closed the heavy flap doors of the tent, James wondered how long his love would be. Waiting until the tea was poured and steeping before returning to the interior of the tent to check on her, James stopped in his tracks as soon as he stepped through the opening. Wendy was leaning on the round log of the foot of the bed, her hair cascading in waves and plaits down to the small of her back. She was gloriously naked, save for her thigh high brown colored heeled boots.

"You admired them so much," Wendy airily remarked when he did not say anything, turning out her right ankle. "I thought you would enjoy seeing them uncluttered."

He was on her like a lion; the ferocity of his open-mouthed kisses nearly knocking the wind out of her. His intact hand bruised the soft flesh of her arm as he pulled her upright and against his body. She moaned as she felt his hand cup and squeeze her pert bottom before delving between her thighs to tickle at her sex. Shoving him away enough to move, Wendy maneuvered herself into a sitting position on the bed, her thighs parted salaciously. Her hands were at the front of his breeches, her eyes hungrily locked with his as she freed his cock, already alert and ready for its mistress. With a growl, James took hold of her right ankle and yanked her so she fell onto her back. He held onto her ankle and tucked the other tightly underneath his right arm to steady her as he pulled her forward and thrust into her. Tossing her head back with an echoing groan, Wendy was quick to meet his thrusts with her own pelvic motions. 

"You are such a wicked girl," James chastised between thrusts. "You scarlet brat; I shall punish you for teasing me and exploiting my weakness."

"Punish me," Wendy moaned, her back arching off the bed every time she felt his cock graze her just so. "Oh, please, James, I beg you. Punish me!"

He suddenly released her, leaving her body abruptly. "On your knees, wench."

Wendy rolled over and obeyed him, wiggling her ass in the air until he brought his hand down with a deafening smack.

"Enough. You are here for my pleasure, not your own."

"Yes, my Captain," Wendy moaned mournfully.

"I cannot hear you!" He shouted with another smack.

"Yes, my Captain!"

After a handful of cracks against her backside, he roughly rolled her onto her back again, taking her legs and folding them back against her chest. Instinctively, Wendy wrapped her arms at the back of her knees, holding them in place for James as he leaned on the bed and guided his cock back inside of her, proceeding to fuck her balls deep. The sight of the boots bouncing helplessly with every thrust only spurred James on; she was so incalculably sensual. Leaning just enough to maintain his deep thrusts but not enough to crush against her, James fucked her with unrelenting stamina and agility. For her part, Wendy was enveloped in pure ecstasy, too caught up in the feeling of her lover filling her sex to care or tend to her own climax. His nails dug into her skin as he thrust to the hilt, coming so deeply inside of her that Wendy cried out and nearly lifted them with an involuntary jolt of her hips. She released her legs, splaying them as he collapsed between them and onto her chest.

"God in heaven, girl. Why do you torture me so?" He roughly kissed her on the mouth.

"Because you love it," Wendy sassily replied, licking her lips to savor the taste of him. He slipped his intact hand between their bodies to tentatively touch her sex, only to have her swat his hand away. "Later. I am savoring the joy of delayed gratification."

"Something I am clearly struggling with," James commented dryly as he rolled off of her and onto the bed. "I know not why. You only have another term at school and then we never have to fuck like there will be a stretch of time between us again."

His comment shook Wendy out of her post coital glow. All of her worries crashed down upon her again. She jumped with a yelp when James suddenly playfully slapped her haunch. He looked at her, bewildered by her reverie but did not comment on it. "Come now, my darling girl. I said to wear something suitable for sand, and this, while most effective on me, is not advisable for the bonfire." He smirked. "Not yet, anyway."

Wendy forced a smile and nodded, getting up to see if she could scrounge up a fleece to clean herself up before dressing. Suddenly feeling claustrophobic in all of his finery, James sat up and removed his jacket before opening his waistcoat and loosening his linen shirt. Discarding her boots, Wendy settled on a simple tunic and breeches, forgoing shoes altogether.

"Yes?" Wendy asked.

"As long as you belt your sword and strap a dagger to your thigh, yes," James said, eyeing her briefly as he wrapped a leather strip around his curly black hair, needing it off his neck. They quickly drank their tepid tea as James extinguished their personal fire, not wanting to risk setting the whole site ablaze on Wendy's first bonfire fete. Walking hand in hand along the beach, the sand still warm between Wendy’s toes, the couple heard the festivities before they could make them out; the drummers, pipers, and fiddlers setting the merry tone.

They were stopped by many peers and Red-Handed Jill was introduced to a plethora of the most intriguing cast of characters, each more interesting than the next: Vikings, once the scourge of England during its early medieval days; crews from the highly dangerous waters of the southern China coast; buccaneers of the Caribbean, corsairs who abandoned their duties to the French scores ago; Ottoman pirates, Moorish, Oceana, and every part of the globe Wendy only dreamed about. All of them were marvelous and amiable to her presence, though Wendy did catch a flash of challenge in the eyes of the occasional woman, one a captain of her own ship who clearly felt Wendy was an inferior partner. Wendy did not lower her eyes demurely as she may have as a child, but returned the stare as she tightened her grip on James. He was either too polite to take notice, or truly ignorant of these fleeting albeit heated exchanges.

They walked together along the beach, am arm for Wendy's shoulder, and arm for James' waist, stopping every few yards to observe the latest crowd pleasing spectacles: belly dancers, tightrope walkers, musicians, jugglers, minstrels, storytellers, bards, puppet shows, and theatrical troupes of drama and comedy alike. Wendy drank it all in, and still the beach and the fete went on and on. Drinking and feasting was par for the course, but what struck her most peculiar was the blatant debauchery and the abundant amount of children running around, completely uncaring to the audacious acts of wanton depravity, be it public drunkenness, bawdy ballads, or aggressive amore. Feeling the vestiges of her repressed upbringing falling by the wayside with every coupling they walked by, Wendy only had the wall of satisfaction from their earlier tryst propping up her self-control.

James left her to watch a mesmerizing performance of fire dancing as he went to fetch a drink. Wendy did not know how much time had passed when she felt a hand cup her bottom, instinctively knowing it did not belong to her man. Quick as lightning, Wendy grabbed the hilt of her dagger and spun around in the sand. A shriek of pain as a man clutched his wrist and stared at the bright red gash marring the palm of his hand.

"How dare you lay your filthy hands on me!" Wendy shouted, uncaring of the attention they drew from the commotion. _Good. Let them see! Let them all bear witness to Red-Handed Jill!_ The man attempted to make a break into the crowd, but adrenaline was pumping through Wendy's veins as she grabbed the man by the back of his collar and flung him onto the sand before stepping on his chest. She hollered over his cries of agony: "Now your hand has been marked by me, and it is mine for the taking!" She brandished her sword, her dagger still clutched in her opposite hand. "I will leave you with it for now, but if my eyes ever have the misfortune of spying you slithering around again, rest assured that I will claim my restitution. Do you understand?"  The man nodded through his sweat-drenched cries of pain.  "Good. Now, you tell all who inquire that Red-Handed Jill of the _Jolly Roger_ is not to be trifled with, as her wrath is swift and her generosity never guaranteed." Stepping off of his chest, Wendy calmly sheathed her sword and watched the man scramble to his feet and run as fast as he could. Wendy's eyes fell on James, who was standing with the crowd as he sipped on his tankard of ale. He had been drawn forward by the man's screams, and nearly dropped his ale in favor of his sword before he realized Wendy had a handle on the situation. His heart swelled with pride.  
  
“Well served, my Darling girl,” James praised as he slipped his mutilated arm around to the small of her back.

“Really?” Wendy asked, realization of her actions dawning on her. She would never behave this way at home, but the Neverlands were another beast altogether.

"Fantastic," he insisted, giving her a reassuring kiss. "Although, now everyone will assume I enraged you and that is how I came to lose my hand."

"Better than a silly little boy severing it in an unfair game," Wendy sassed she wiped her dagger on her breeches before sheathing it in her thigh holster.

"Pan is feared in the Neverlands,” James explained tolerably between gulps of ale. “He is a much more formidable foe than you realize, my love."

"Peter?" Wendy asked dubiously as she melted against him, slipping her arms around his waist and pressing her cheek against his chest. "Unlikely."

"He is called the lawless, or child-killer around these parts."

Wendy let that sink in, finding it inarguable.

They continued to watch the fire dancers until the performance came to a conclusion, and after a polite applause, left to find their comrades at the bonfire.

"We share ours with the crew of the _Storm Breaker_ ," James explained as he led his lover towards the towering flames. Theirs was a lavish set up; bamboo mats lay between the sand and a myriad of cushions, tuffets, hassocks and other comforts along with low legged tables no more than a foot above the sand. A smattering of people were already sitting around the fire, lounging, drinking, eating from the buffet-car standing just between the shadows and dancing firelight.

Starkey, Laddie and Alf Mason sat opposite two crew members of the _Storm Breaker_ and their quartermaster, a woman of the same Oceanic tribe as Kailani, with wavy dark hair and painted white markings along her skin.

"Come play cards with us, Hook."

"What say you, lovely?" James asked his lady love. "Shall we partake?"

He and Wendy sit together as one, her leaning comfortably against his chest as they were dealt one hand of cards. Starkey kept his eyes on his hand as he asked, "Mistress Jill, did you purchase a strip of fabric singed from the lead ball that shot from your gun?"

"Yes, I thought it the polite gesture since it was damaged."  
  
Starkey nodded in satisfaction. "We may need it as evidence, should this foolishness escalate."

"Why?" Hook asked, looking up from their hand. "What has happened?"

"Scarsi's men reached the merchant and his wife before I did. He did not want to divulge anything from fear, but the wife was clearly agitated. She told me to ask Mistress Jill how well she liked her purchase. I finally weaseled that from her."

"And the chemist?" Wendy inquired.

"Far more cooperative," Starkey replied. "I think he fears you more than Scarsi. He swore to vouch for us should the need arise."

James sighed. "We will not live by should, however. Let us say no more until there is something to be said. For now, let us enjoy the night."

The opposing quartermaster pounded the palm of her hand against the table as she demanded: "Less talking, Iggy, more playing!"

Wendy burst out laughing at Starkey's reddening face. Laddie tried to hide his amusement behind his cards but his snickering snorts gave him away. Starkey scowled at the woman, so brazen to use the nickname derived from his given name, Ignatius.

They played well into the night, pausing only to drink, converse, eat, or in Hook and Wendy's case, exchange affection. From the corner of his eye, James spied the boy, Laddie, watching a completely oblivious Wendy. His expression was clear as a cloudless day in his juvenile adoration for his Mistress. Hook sighed inwardly, knowing this would escalate into a more problematic situation if he did not eventually intervene. A soft pressure distracted James from this train of thought; Wendy was kissing and nuzzling him under his chin, waiting for him to reciprocate, which he was only too pleased to do. For her part, Wendy found herself on a winning streak without really trying, infuriating everyone else at the table as she was nonchalant about it. The more distracted Wendy became, the bigger her wins. Sensing a rising mutiny, James tactfully redirected his lover at the end of their latest round.

"Treasure, would you be a dear and bring us a tray of food?"

She nodded before kissing him on the nose and dashing off. Laddie was not far behind her, tripping on his own feet as he shot up. "I will help you, Mistress Jill!"

Starkey slid closer to his captain, leaving Mason to appease the other card players with his continuing losing streak.

"What are we going to do about Mistress Jill's little puppy?" Starkey asked in a low voice.  
  
"Hmm. I have been wondering that myself. Unless he officially challenges me or makes an inappropriate move, there is nothing to be done." Hook scowled. “Has he given you any cause for grief?”

“Unfortunately, no. He is a good lad; minds me, does as he’s told and never the cause of any ire.”

“Why bother being a pirate if you’re not going to cause trouble,” James lamented under his breath. They were silent in brainstorming, James staring beyond their table to see Wendy and Laddie laughing together with Domhnall, Wendy casually and very innocently touching the younger boy on his shoulder. The boy looked at her almost slavishly, causing James to shake his head until finally inspiration struck. “This is the boy who spotted the Scarsi men and alerted Jill to their presence, correct?”

“Yes, we only have one cabin boy, James. Do try remember your crew, Captain.”

“Shut up, I have a point. So, in effect, the boy is quite the hero, wouldn’t you say?”

Starkey squinted at his captain, unsure where the other man was going with this train of thought. “I suppose…?”

“In other words,” James went on in a whisper. “He may be due some sort of reward…”

“One...could...argue this,” Starkey began, still befuddled.

“Perhaps not outright fiscal compensation, but an experience of some sort? One that would entail a rite of passage, let us say. An experience that would in effect divert his attention towards someone _other_ than the woman of his captain?”

Realization dawned on the quartermaster’s face as he sat up straight. “Ahhhhh. Yes! Ugh, such a simple solution. Why did I not think of this?”

“Because you do not think of women in such ways.”  
  
“Perhaps not, but I know men well enough. Ah, well. Yes. A visit to the Gold House on the Rue des Lumieres should suffice.” Starkey tugged at his own braid, lost in thought. “Now, how to get the boy there without arousing his suspicion.”

“You are his commanding officer, you take him there under the pretense of an errand. The real trick shall be hiding this from our Jill. She dotes on him like a child. It would not do to let her know of our plans lest she accuse us of corrupting the boy.”  
  
“I shall arrange it with Lalita tomorrow. Quick, they are returning,” Starkey muttered as he scoots away from his Captain to make room for Wendy. Instead, she nods for him to follow her to a cozier corner of blankets and bolsters. Obligingly, James follows her, settling in a reclining position like a mighty Roman, Wendy mirroring him with the tray of food between them.

"Are you content here, pet, or would you rather explore?" James asked, rolling a sliver of _jamon_ with some cheese. 

"Will it always be this lively each night?"

"Oh, yes."

"Then let us stay here and enjoy one another."

They fed one another, their attentiveness escalating to physical affection until Domhnall and Kailani abruptly sat beside them, prompting Wendy to quickly remove her hand from the inside of James' breeches.

"How are you enjoying your first Fête, Jill?" Domhnall asked jovially as Wendy and James hastened to sit upright.

"Oh, I,"

"Hush, my love," Hook suddenly touched her lips before turning to his comrade. "Why do you say this is her first Fête? Perhaps she has been here many years before."

"It is in her eyes," Kailani explained when her husband could only blubber. "My children have little more restraint in their greedy hunger for all the Fête has to offer."

"Come now, James," Domhnall pleaded in his friendly manner. "You are one of our oldest friends. It matters not to us. Now, tell us how you two met."

"How did _you_ two meet?" Wendy suddenly asked, turning the tables on them.

Domhnall chuckled, his good-nature refusing to acknowledge her sass. "In a tavern arm wrestling match. I was undefeated, about to collect a fat prize money, when in storms this most alluring woman; tall, strong, stoic with hair as wild as jungle vines and eyes like black diamonds. She threw my latest opponent aside, sat down and beat me in under a minute." He lay a beefy hand on his wife's shoulder affectionately. "Collected the prize money and my heart."

"You didn't deliberately lose, did you?" Wendy asked suspiciously.

"I would never respect a man who did not fight with all of his strength," Kailani replied stoically. "Alright. You heard our fairy tale romance. What is yours?"

James launched into his tale without any preamble: "One day I was scanning the sky with my spyglass, trying to get a lock on that infernal Pan. Instead, to my astonishment, I spotted an angel peeping down from the clouds, her eyes locked on the _Jolly Roger_." James leaned down to kiss Wendy on the crown of her head before continuing. "It is forbidden for angels to fly down from the heavens and fraternize with mortals, as you know, but this one caved into her curiosity and risked all of damnation to join me on my ship."

"Because naturally we had fallen in love by then," Wendy chimed in, taking hold of Hook's intact hand. "I would rather spend a human life with him than eternity without him."

"That is the sweetest thing I ever heard," Kailani said flatly. "Utter bollocks, but I enjoyed it nonetheless."

A little girl with wild dark red hair and intricate white dots patterned about her face bounded up to them. "Mumma, may I have money for the games? There is a ring toss I know I can win."

"Iona, be polite and acknowledge our guests. You know Captain Hook. This is his wife, Red-Handed Jill."

"Hullo," the girl said impatiently before turning back to her parents expectantly.

"No, those games are a sham designed for idiots with more coins than sense. Go tell the others they are not wasting a single doubloon on that lunacy unless they enjoying the idea of being mocked forever."

She huffed but obeyed, leaving her parents in peace.

"How many children do you have?" Wendy inquired, finding the little girl charming.

"Eight," Domhnall replied. "Soon to be nine."

"You are pregnant? Again?" James asked, looking past the Scotsman at Kailani.

"You did not notice?" She asked, her hand on her middle. Wendy and James both shook their head.

James shrugged. "I have know you through many births. Twenty-three, is it not?"

She scowled and repeated: _"Eight."_

"Eight. Twenty-three. Five hundred. It is all the same to me." He rose to his feet and held out his hand for Wendy, who accepted. "The sky is ever darkening. I sense the end of the first night soon, so Jill and I shall bid you two farewell until the next eve."

 

* * *

 

Walking back to their campsite hand in hand during the darkest hours before the dawn, Wendy became aroused by the sounds of salacious acts emanating from other adjacent campsites.Again, James did not remark or even acknowledge it, leaving Wendy to assume it was not out of the ordinary in the least. Though normally a very private person, Wendy was finding it difficult to hold onto any of her straight-laced  

"Do you want to stay up with a fire? We have a while yet before dawn. It would be nice to watch the sunrise together."

Wendy was about to protest, to inform her lover she wanted him in bed, but inspiration struck again. She nodded and left him to build the fire as she went inside the pavilion tent to slip into more comfortable attire. Forgoing the more lascivious choices, Wendy striped to her skin before scooping up one of the furs from the bed and wrapping it around her nude body. Returning outside where James sat in front of a crackling fire, Wendy settled herself between his drawn up knees.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?"

"Oh, yes," Wendy replied. She closed her eyes and tilted her head as James dotted kisses down her neck, brushing aside the fur from her shoulder. His hand dipped lower, finding her breast rather than fabric. Chuckling lowly at her game, he gently unwound the fur from her and spread it down beside the fire. She crawled on all fours, wiggling her bottom in a brazen display of desire. James cupped one cheek of her bottom before pushing Wendy on her side. She went down on her stomach and rolled onto her back when he gave her rump a light patting. Settling between her raised knees, he caressed her leg from calf to knee.

"Do you want release now, my precious?" His hand traveled between her silken thighs, the pad of his thumb grazing against her clit.

"Yes!" She arched her back into the touch, but he drew away sharply.

"Beg for it, my sweet. Let me know you really want it."

"Please, my love, I need you!"

Always her servant, even when she begged, his head was between her legs, pleasuring her deeply.  

"Yes," Wendy moaned as he kneaded her thigh. She was not far along, the fur of the blanket tightly balled in her fists as she cried, "Oh, James, more, yes!" She lay quivering shortly after, James collecting her to his side as he kissed her temple.

"We are missing the sunrise," he murmured.

The flames were soon out but the fire was still smoking as the sun broke over the horizon. They stayed like that until they were yawning, finally motivating themselves to get up and close the drapes around the perimeter of their site and the sun blocking flaps of thick canvas around the tent. By the time the sun had taken its rightful place in the sky, the couple were already in bed and asleep.

 

* * *

 

The next afternoon James insisted on taking Wendy back to the Blue Moon Market.

"You did not get to finish shopping, or even peruse the entirety of the market."

Wendy agreed, and soon found herself strolling arm in arm with James, eyeing wares exotic and familiar, ever so vigilant that something may go awry.

"Do you believe Captain Scarsi's men will attempt another assault?"

"I do not," James replied casually as he browsed cufflinks. In truth, Hook was unsure what Scarsi will do, or if the men were acting of their own accord. It seemed ludicrous that a Captain would have such a loose hold on his crew, or risk breaking the code of conduct and put his business at risk. However, Scarsi is a petty man, but Hook did not feel compelled to share these tendrils of doubt with his Wendy lady today. He wanted her to be carefree and confident on her debut adventure.

"How do you divide the profits from the Market?" Wendy inquired.

"Starkey's excellent mathematics," Hook lightly jested. "We keep superb accounts to ensure no one is overlooked, be it the cut for the _Jolly Roger_ or those who wait upon their percentage of human currency for the wares we sell on their behalf."

"Does not everyone accept money?"

"Not in the least. Faeries and mermaids have no use for human coin. Oh, sometimes they use it out of desperation, or there is an eccentric collector, but they predominantly barter."

"Then...how do you give them their profit?"

"I do not," James replied with a shrug as they moved on. "They either ask for goods from the Market in exchange, as the natives do, or demand a full barter up front."

Wendy stopped to admire handmade leather bound journals and sketchbooks.

"What could they possibly desire?" She asked, running her hand over the burnished red leather of a journal. Hook made a subtle gesture to the shopkeep to pack one up for them.

"Faeries like bits bobs," James explained. "Buttons, string, thimbles, spools, bits of patterned paper or fabric. They rarely have an agenda; I usually fill a sack of odds and ends and they are only too greedy to swap for their dust."

"Which fetches you a small fortune," Wendy added, looking up at him with a dazzling smile.

"Us, my love," he gently corrects, touching the small of her back."Fetches _us_ a small fortune."

"And mermaids?"

"Mermaids, like all dark creatures, wish for something a touch more macabre. Personal. So long as the requested item does not belong to oneself, or anyone one holds in any regard, well, there you have it."

Wendy eyed him. "Fiend."

He smirked as he touched the tip of his hook delicately under her chin. "I have never claimed otherwise."

They moved on to a vendor covered in heavy drapes, for inside was a merchant selling lamps and lampshades - lovely damask patterns stitched with pearls, beads, fringe, gems, constructed in the shapes familiar to Wendy but with the otherworldly light source of the Neverlands.

"I like this one," Wendy said of the crescent moon lampshade in midnight blue trimmed with fringe adorned with little gold stars. The light was soft and soothing; she envisioned it close to their bed. Hook nodded to the merchant, who quickly leapt to wrap up the ware. Another shade caught Wendy's eye; an upside down crocus shape with panels of alternating cream and mauve, each panel sectioned off with lilac braid, and with lilac strings of beads along the scalloped bottom. "This one is very sweet."

Hook placed his hand on her shoulder. "Yes. It does not compliment our cabin very well, though."

"No, not _our_ cabin," Wendy began gently before looking up at him over her shoulder. "But perhaps it can furnish another type of room. One day."  
  
"Hm?" James looked down at her quizzically. "Are you in need of your own room? I have been giving that some consideration, truth be told," He confessed. "You are the only woman on a ship of men, after all, and more than deserving of your own space. There are a few store rooms beside my cabin we can easily convert."

Wendy stared at him, unsure if he was willful in his ignorance. Determining he was in earnest, Wendy merely turned to the merchant and pointed at the lampshade with a polite smile, sending the merchant to scuttle off to wrap the item.

"My own cabin?" Wendy mused as they continued down the lane. "What would I do with my own cabin, I wonder?"

"Whatever ladies do in the privacy of their own rooms," James ventured with a casual shrug. "I know that you share a room at school, but you have your own room in your parents home, do you not?"

"For a little over a year, yes. I did little more than sleep and study there."  
  
"Hmm," James twisted his mouth in consternation. "Well, perhaps your Mother can enlighten you on how she utilizes her room."  
  
Wendy stopped in her tracks, threw her head back and laughed in a most unladylike fashion. "Mother?"  
  
"It was not an unusual assumption," James countered primly. "My mother had her own rooms."

"Well, my Mother and Father share a room; neither of them possess a room entirely for themselves." She caressed his arm before curling around it and leading them forward once more. "Prudie's mother, Lady Runkle, has three rooms: her bedchamber, a sitting room, and a dressing room. Oh, and a private bath! Personally, I would not know what to do with all of that space."

"So, you are refusing my offer of a cabin all to yourself?"  
  
"I am not!" Wendy protested. "I simply need to think on it...I suppose a quiet nook would be useful...should I wish to read or write...But I would not wish to sleep there!" She smiled sweetly up at him. "I only wish to wake up in your arms every morning."

Hook reached out to stroke her cheek softly. "Precious."

They continued on into the early twilight, purchasing sweets for Wendy to take back to her school chums (though James buys extra for her) and odds and ends. They strayed from one another only momentarily, never going further than the next merchant over before joining up again. During one of these brief separations, Wendy heard a distinct whistle and turned from a spice merchant to see James across the lane outside a proper storefront, nodding for her to join him. Pardoning herself, she crossed the lane only to have James block her from entering.

"Close your eyes."

She narrowed her eyes in suspicion even as she grins at him, complying with his request. James led her into the shop and positioned her just so. Wendy knit her brows in confusion as she feels something quite heavy set just at the base of her neck and atop her breasts.

"Open."

Wendy opened her eyes to discover a gorgeous necklace comprised entirely of sparkling jewels.

"Oh, James," Wendy breathed, mesmerized by the diamond studded chain and the large tanzanite set in a ring of sapphires. Before she could process her thoughts on the stunning piece, James was removing it and replacing it with a gold necklace bejeweled with emeralds and pearls, followed by a two tiered necklace with a series of lapis lazuli droplets; silver with pearlescent opal, an intricate Austro-Hungarian laden with rubies, diamonds, and garnets; a thin silver chain with the daintiest amethysts Wendy ever laid eyes on. Just when Wendy thought she could not see a more beautiful necklace, James slipped another around her slender neck. Finally, after perhaps a dozen or so necklaces, James turned to the proud jeweler and nodded satisfactorily.  

"They are all of them breathtaking," Wendy complimented. "I do not know how I will only choose one."

"You do not have to choose," Hook said simply. "They are your first official treasure. They are not as lovely as you, of course."

"Wait, pardon?" Wendy snapped out of the trance of enchantment the dazzling jewels. "You cannot mean to purchase _all_ of these for me?"

"Oh, yes. They are for your treasure chest."

Wendy's treasure chest was a lovely gilded chest painted with ivy and flowers that James had commissioned for her a year ago as a token of his love. Every proper pirate owns one, to hold within their most precious keepsakes. James had gifted her the odd trinket, some silver, even a gold chalice and an antique book of poems, but these necklaces were an extravagance Wendy could not accept.

"No, my love, it is far too opulent for me," Wendy insisted but was instantly silenced.

"I am sorry pet but the deed is done. I spied these ages ago and knew they were perfect for your exquisite neck. My love dripping in jewels, as she was always meant to be." He kissed her temple.

"What would I do with such lavish things?" Wendy asked, helpless against his charm and the sparkling beauty of the jewelry before her.  
  
"Keep them," James replied plainly with a shrug. "Admire them. Sell them, give them away, barter them for all I mind, should we ever come across hard times after I drink away all of our money." He took her hand and squeezed it gently before kissing it. "What I am saying, my dearest, is that I care not what you do with these baubles because they are yours. And it pleases me to spoil you."

Wendy sighed in defeat. "You wicked man."

 

As they left the jeweler, a man lurked within the shadows of a nearby alley, watching the couple as they merrily continued on, completely unaware they were being watched.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is Wendy only playing pretend?

****Hunger was soon gnawing at them, prompting Hook to lead Wendy to one of his favorite spots: a corner cafe with a canopied veranda perfect for watching the colorful crowds stroll by. As they discussed where they may venture to afterwards, two familiar faces emerged from the crowd and sidled up on the other side of the rot iron railing.

"Good Evening, Mistress Jill," Laddie said pleasantly, leaning on the railing and beaming at Wendy.

"Good evening, Laddie. Where are you two heading?"

"Errands," Mr. Starkey quickly and evasively replied, shooting a quick glance at his Captain, who looked away.  
  
"Perhaps you will join us later at the bonfire?" Wendy asked, hoping the young man would be permitted to join her to walk the along  beach and take in a performance.  
  
"I hope-" Laddie began.

"The boy is working, Mistress Jill," Starkey abrasively interrupted. "In fact, we are in danger of being late for an appointment if we do not hurry along." He gently prodded Laddie's shoulders. "Come on, lad."

Reluctantly, the auburn haired boy obeyed. "Hopefully we shall see one another before the night is out. Goodbye, Mistress Jill."

As soon as they were out of sight, Wendy scowled at James as she stabbed the portion of capon on her plate. "The nerve of that man calling himself _Gentleman_ Starkey. There is nothing gentlemanly about him! Do you hear how he speaks to me? I am a woman, moreover, the wife of his -" Wendy went rigid in her seat as she looked up to see James shaking with silent laughter. "Are you laughing at me?"

"Only because you have not been informed of all of the facts, treasure. You and Starkey sniping at one another typically annoys me, but tonight it was most amusing."

"What facts do you speak of?" Wendy demanded. James looked instantly regretful he had said anything, prompting Wendy to nudge his right calf none too gently. “Out with it, Captain!”

James sighed. "I had desired to wait until the deed was done, but very well. Mr. Starkey is taking Laddie to the House of Gold on the Rue de Lumiere."

Something about the name sounded familiar. It took Wendy a few moments of careful recollection before she remembered the conversation where Lalita divulged the significance of the colored lights.

"James!" Wendy hissed, horrified. "He is entirely too young to be even thinking about such things."

"You fool only yourself if you believe that, my dear. He already possesses those thoughts."

Wendy was uncomfortable; she had known Laddie since he was smaller than she, a lovely little boy who called her Mother once. He may tower of her now, but Wendy still saw the cheerful little boy so eager to please his adopted Neverland Mother.

"But why _there_? Surely, if he possesses those thoughts, he has his heart set on a particular lady?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact he does. However, the lady in question is spoken for."

"Can he not wait until someone special comes along?" Wendy pleaded.

"I was hoping someone special would come along, but alas, he only has eyes for this lady. When a young man  becomes fixated there can be no stopping to the lengths which he will go through to win the object of his desire. 'Tis best to divert his attention altogether in the hopes he will understand that, unless one is defending her, a woman is no reason to get oneself killed."

"I fail to see how the two are connected."

"Boys can be impetuous, especially when their blood is boiling in desire. Temper the desire and reduce the chances of the boy acting out of haste and foolish notions that he may challenge the man who stands in the way between he and his lady love."

"Does the lady not have a say in all of this nuanced masculine aggression?" Wendy asked primly, irritated that this decision was made without her knowledge.

"Of course, but," James leaned forward and lowered his voice before adding, "when a boy is thinking with his cock and not with his head, all manner of hell is unleashed. Tis better for everyone that he seeks the assistance of a professional to assuage the body and educate the mind."

"What baffles me is how Laddie could have formed such an attachment with a girl he could have only met recently. The only woman he is around regularly enough is...Oh, bother, the woman is me."

"I am afraid so.," Hook affirmed with a pained expression. Wendy sat rigidly, gobsmacked by this turn of events.

Dumbly, she asked, "What of Ignatius' role in all of this?" Wendy asked, utilizing Starkey's given name even though he was not present to be annoyed with her. "Is he to stand guard outside the room until the deed is done?"

"Hardly," Hook snorted. "He will sit with Lalita and let the boy understand and leave when he feels confident the boy is in good hands." Hook shrugged. "Should any crisis arise, Starkey will not be far off."

"How do you mean?"

"As I explained before; some of our crew find themselves in somebody else's bed during the Market. As is the case with Gentleman Starkey, that may be a new bed for each night in the House of Green."

"I see," Wendy replied neutrally before wringing her hands. "I feel horrid, James. Wretchedly horrid, as if I had been leading a starving boy to a phantom feast."

"Fret not, lovely. You are in no way at fault."

Wendy turned her anger back on James. "I wish you had consulted me on this so-called solution."

"I am his Captain," James eyed her dangerously. "And yours."

"Are you so certain about that?" Wendy sassed as she daintily dabbed the corners of her mouth with her napkin.

“Are you intending to prove me otherwise?” James asked with a raised eyebrow. “Challenge my authority?”

Wendy was unable to reply before a messenger approached them with a parchment sealed in violet wax. James gave him a coin and a nod of dismissal before breaking the seal with his hook.

“I wondered when this would arrive.”  
“What is it?” Wendy asked as a fresh kettle of tea was delivered to them.

“Lalita always holds a grand ball at the end of the fete.” His brows raised. “A masquerade this time, to celebrate the New Year on the mainland.”

“Are we attending?” Wendy inquired tiredly, unsure she was prepared for the level of jollification she anticipated at such a event.

“We can discuss the matter later,” Hook said decidedly, slipping the invitation into his inside pocket. "In the meantime, what shall we do with ourselves the rest of this glorious evening? Shall we take a stroll along the beach and take in a spectacle? Would you care to explore the town more thoroughly? Perhaps we ought to sit in on a table in a gambling house."

"Actually, I am feeling rather reclusive tonight. I should like to return to our campsite."

"Are you unwell?"

"Perfectly well," Wendy replied with a sly smile. James instantly took to her meaning.

"Oh. I see."

 

After they settled their bill, James and Wendy beelined directly for the privacy of their campsite, Wendy tearing off her clothes the minute they passed beyond the fabric wall hangings. Both of them were naked by the time they reached their bed where Wendy aggressively tackled her man, pinning him on his back as she straddled his thighs and leaned down to capture his lips. She was positively feral; her hunger raw and demanding. Reaching down, Hook cupped her sex and squeezed and massaged her as she rotated her hips salaciously.

"Show me how you want it, little girl."

Biting her bottom lip as she thought of all of the possibilities, Wendy abruptly moved away from his grip and turned around on his lap, bending forward ever so slightly to grasp just above his knees with her hands. Understanding, James guided her hips downward with the blunt end of his iron appendage, his hand guiding his cock to her eager sex. Thrusting downward on his cock, Wendy was soon in perfect rhythm. Hook treasured all the ways Wendy expressed physical love, but there was something about the aggressive, primal Wendy he particularly relished. Alternating between hard riding and slow undulation, Wendy knew just how to angle herself for their maximum mutual pleasure. Yelping when he blasphemed and slapped her haunch, Wendy picked up her gyrations, taking his intact hand and guiding it to her clit as she leaned back towards him, granting his hand easier access to her nodule. Her thighs quivered ever so slightly as she balanced herself whilst keeping up her methodical grinding, slowing down ever so slightly to enjoy the build of pleasure.

“Oh!” Wendy cried as James impetuously bucked his hips upward, thrusting into her as she maintained her own efforts. Desiring to get the better of him as she sensed their approaching rapture, Wendy leaned forward to fondle and massage his bollocks. The roar of pleasured surprise was worth the slap against her sex and that ferocious thrust promulgating his seed spurting inside of her. Releasing him to hold her weight as she pressed her palms on the bed between his parted thighs, Wendy squealed with ecstasy as he rapidly thrust up against her, pinning her around her hips to hold her in place whilst the intact hand brought her clit to full completion.

Neither knew how or when they came to lie in a boneless pile of limbs, only that they were dizzyingly blissed.

“Splendid idea, pet,” James praised breathlessly, kissing her sweaty forehead. “Returning to our accomodation for the night. Truly, one of your best ideas yet.”  


They stayed in bed, napping until another wave of passion overtook them, working themselves into a hunger by 3:00 am, according to Wendy’s pocket watch, prompting Hook to build a fire and bring out a pan and meat to fry up. Wendy joined with the kettle and tea. After they fed one another, eliciting giggles from Wendy caused by great silliness on James' behalf, they feasted on one another for dessert, Wendy on her hands and knees feeling animalistic by the crackling fire as her man thrust into her with beastly fervor.

"You truly have no desire to venture out tonight?" He asked when they eventually returned to their bed, just as the sun was peeping on the horizon.

"None," Wendy reassured him as she lay stretched out atop his chest, her ear to his heart. "I am greedy and want you all to myself."

"As you wish, then. And yes, you are exceedingly greedy," James agreed as he playfully slapped her bottom. "And I would have you no other way."

 

* * *

 

James woke to the brightness of a golden afternoon, his body at an angle and face smashed into a pillow. Realizing he was in bed alone after a cursory pat down, James rolled onto his back with a groan and great difficulty. Still feeling mildly blissed out from their night of amore, it took James a minute to focus and find his lover, now fully dressed and looking into the mirror atop the bureau.  

"Afternoon, lovely. Are you going somewhere?"

“I have an errand to run,” Wendy said to his reflection as she fixed her hair. In truth, Wendy wished for a relaxing bath and did not enjoy the idea of removing her clothes anywhere save for the haven of James’ cabin.

“An errand?” James repeated curiously, wondering what possible errand she could have. “I should go with you.”

“I would rather you did not as you would only distract me,” Wendy said, adjusting her hairpin. “It is an easy task; in fact, I am heading to the _Jolly Roger_ and will return before nightfall.”

“I see.” Hook knew she was capable of leaving his side, but felt uneasy all the same. Still, he bit his tongue. Mostly. “If you are not back by sunset, I may have to go out and look for you.”  
Her hair successfully pinned, Wendy crawled onto the bed and kissed her man reassuringly. “Stop fussing. You are worse than Aunt Millicent.”

Hook merely glowered at her for the comparison.

“Do you need anything from the ship?”

“Nothing comes to mind."

"Then sleep a while yet, and when I return, we may venture out to the bonfire if you wish."

"Yes, my love."

They exchanged kisses a few more times before Wendy pulled away and bid him farewell.

 

* * *

 

It seemed to matter not the time of day or night for revelry; people, or people-like individuals took every opportunity to keep the streets flooded with their merriment and consumerism. Wendy took comfort in her independence and began feeling confident maneuvering the streets by herself, so much so that she stopped at a bakery for a treat and also to buy a freshly baked loaf of bread she would pick up on the way back to the campsite. In an attempt to avoid the crowd and reach her destination quicker, Wendy kept to the side streets and alleyways as she nibbled on her punschrulle, a confectionary of marzipan dipped in chocolate stuffed with a mix of crushed biscuits, butter, and cocoa, flavoured with punsch liqueur for a tang Wendy did not wholly dislike, for being alcohol. As she rounded the corner to another lane, Wendy overheard a small group on the veranda of a tavern as they drank and laughed in a tight circle by the corner, their backs just visible to Wendy.

"What do you think about Captain Hook's wife?"

"I don't think about her at all!"

Wendy quickly flattened herself against the wall of the tavern, suddenly excruciatingly aware of her own heartbeat drumming loudly in her ears.

"She is so pale and thin; how can she ever hope to stand by his side in a battle, much less brandish a sword properly? Where on earth did he find her anyway?"

"A convent no doubt!" They doubled over in laughter before someone added, "Plucked from the bosom of the nuns to have her own flower plucked!"

Their howling laughter echoed bitterly in Wendy's ears; she was too mortified to move. There were at least four distinct voices, three women and a man. One of them was most definitely Captain Rubina, the scarlet-haired captain whose eye flashed a dangerous, challenging envy when Wendy was casually introduced in passing her first night at the Bonfire.    

"She looks like a little girl playing dolly dress-up!"

"I would not mind so much if he were not damnably devoted to the little wretch!” Captain Rubina lamented. “Hook has never had only _one_ lover, why would he start now, with that pygmy chipmunk?"

"He will undoubtedly tire of her. Once she is properly debauched and following him around in lovesickness, he will throw her over and find a fresh garden to till."

"In the meantime, we must endure her insufferable presence."

"Suppose the little vestal mouse ensnares James by getting herself pregnant! Then we shall never rid ourselves of her."

"Bite your tongue and pray to all the gods you worship that we never clap eyes on her after this Blue Moon Market."

“I can only imagine what James will dress his dolly in for Lalita’s ball.”

“Probably her school uniform!”

“Or a nun’s habit!”

Their heckling laughter rang in Wendy's ears as she made to slip back into the crowded avenues, refusing to let a single angry tear shed. _How dare they! How dare they!_ Wendy fumed inwardly. The docks were just coming into view when a large hand enclosed around Wendy’s right wrist and pulled her into a darkened back gutter with a gasp. Wendy made to reach for her dagger with her left hand, but another hand grasped her just as her fingertips grazed the hilt. Immobilized, Wendy was twisted around and forced to stare up at her captor, Captain Scarsi.

“Be still, girl,” he growled. “I have no interest in causing a scene.”

Wendy ceased thrashing, prompting him to release her left hand when he felt she would not resist him.

“Unhand me, Captain Scarsi,” Wendy demanded through grit teeth, her eyes darting to see if anyone had noticed the exchange. They were just off the main road enough that few were visible on the cobbled lane.

“Not until you and I have a little talk.”

“I cannot possibly think of anything we should have to say to one another.”

“Stop fighting me, girl. I have been waiting days for you to be without James or your little guard pup and now I will say my peace.”

“Get on with it, then, and let me go about my business,” Wendy demanded.

"What is the matter, Mistress Jill? Has the well of your good opinion already been poisoned against me? Let me speak awhile; I am sure I can persuade a sympathetic ear from you."

“You may enjoy the sound of your own voice, but I most certainly do not.”

He grinned a most sinister grin. At one time in her life, Wendy found Hook’s smirk to be a precursor to danger, and she lived that feeling again with Scarsi.

“Does it not interest you to know why Captain Hook and I do not get on well? I cannot imagine he has told you the reason, for it paints him in a most unflattering light.”

She eyed him up and down with haughty disdain. “We all of us have secrets, sir.”

“And what is your secret, I wonder? That you are nothing more than a silly girl on holiday from the mainlands, come to play pirates? Because that is no secret; everyone worked that out the moment you set foot ashore.”

Wendy flushed with humiliation and rage, the laughter from the cruel gossip still ringing in her ears. Still, Wendy managed to keep her head as she asked, “If I am a silly girl, then why bother speaking with me at all?”

“Because the man purporting to be your husband has been a thorn in my side for an annoyingly long time, beginning when he stole everything from me.”  
Wendy scoffed back, “You are foolish to harass me for a crime I am not even convinced James committed.”

Angered, Scarsi shook her as he barked: “He ruined my life, girl! Oh, he cannot deny it. Your charming Captain Hook stole my livelihood when he defiled my one true love.”

Wendy could not suppress the astonishment on her face; she did not have time to gather her thoughts before Scarsi continued, his snarl unfurling into his growing sinister smirk.

“Though I believe I have finally found something that I can take of his which is as precious to him as my beloved was to me.”

Feeling her stomach drop at the implication, Wendy tried to cover the hitch in her voice as she hissed, “You are even more of a fool to believe you can get away with your vengeance by violating me.”   
  
“Oh, _you_?” Scarsi jeered, pulling her taut against his body even as she twisted and struggled. He laughed at her efforts. “Though I could take you if I wanted, I assure you, I have no intention of risking my business relations over Hook’s tart of the season. No.” He roughly released her. “My vengeance will come later. The beauty is that you will never see me.” He raised his empty hands as if he were about to pull the trick of an illusionist. Wendy breathed hard as she glared at him, refusing to take her eyes off of him in case he attempted something else against her person. Idly, she rubbed her sore wrist, coaxing the blood flow. Scarsi merely chuckled under his breath and tipped his tricorn hat in a most gentlemanly manner. “Good day to you, Miss Jill. I hope you will reserve a dance for me at Lalita’s soiree.”

Wendy’s lip curled as she watched him walk away, waiting several moments before she felt safe enough to continue towards the _Jolly Roger_.

 

While the remaining crew were surprised to see Wendy board the ship unaccompanied, they left her relatively alone - excluding carrying out the task of delivering her tub and filling it with warm, clean water. When at last with her hair pinned up and her head resting back against a cushion fashioned from one of their fleeces, Wendy could soak up the earlier incidents and strategize going forward.

_Regardless if what Captain Scarsi said is true or not, I must prove that he has not bested my nerves, nor give any cause for anyone to question my character as anything less than a force to reckon with, a woman uncaring of idle gossip. How to declare this point is another matter altogether, though._

Stalking about the cabin in James' dressing gown after her bath, Wendy felt the answer was directly under her nose. Pacing around the cabin and noting the dip of the sun, Wendy was all about to give up and prepare to return to James when her eyes fell on her treasure chest...

 

* * *

 

The blue moon was high, its azure reflection rippling along the black waters by the time Wendy and James decided to venture out to the bonfire that night. Just as they began to walk along the beach, Wendy’s lantern swinging idly by her side, the couple was stopped by a group of French corsairs. After introductions, James became engrossed in conversation, leaving Wendy to drift away. As she drew closer to the water’s edge, she spied a small child crouching by a clutch of rocks too close to the tide for her comfort. Keeping her lantern high to light her path and announce her oncoming presence, Wendy held up the light as she stood by the rock.

"Hello, there,” Wendy said pleasantly. “It's dangerous to be here alone."

The child let out a terrible sniffle, clearly crying. "The others left me. I can't find my Mumma."

Wendy's heart wrenched for the child. "I shall help you find your Mumma, if you like." The child nodded and lifted their arms, intention clear. Wendy set her lantern down to scoop the child into her arms before precariously bending at the knees so she could scoop the handle of her lantern up with the tips of her fingers.

"What is this?" Hook asked, snatching the lantern so as to ease Wendy’s burden.

"This is a child, James. You ought to know what they look like; you have spent enough of your time trying to kill many of them."

"I meant specifically; who does this child belong to?"  
"Well, I am trying to work that out..."

James held the lantern aloft, illuminating the child's face - puffy from crying, but most curiously, with a pattern of white dots across their cheekbones.

"This is one of Kailani's brats."

"Hullo, Mr. Hook." The child said pleasantly.

James narrowed his eyes at the little beast. "That's _Captain_ Hook, you wretch."

The child rested their head on Wendy's shoulder, whilst his little arms wrapped around her neck as they walked down the length of the beach, seeking out the _Storm Breaker_ bonfire. From his peripherals, James spied Wendy incling her head atop the child’s, but said nothing.

“Makoa!”

Several small voices echoed in the darkness. Shadows of all heights wander down the beach, in neighboring bonfire gatherings, in the crowds watching a rowdy performance on a makeshift stage used for traveling actors.

“Get over here right now!” A commanding voice yelled to her small army. Hook and Wendy hung back as they watched the children approach the firelight of another bonfire where Kailani’s strapping figure cut a dangerous shadow across the sand. “How could you lose your brother? I am ashamed of all of you! If anything happens to him, you will all be strung from the hull and your toes fed to the sharks! Do you understand me?”

“Aye-Aye, Mumma,” they said in unison.

James motioned for them to approach Domhnall, deeming him the safer of two parents. Hook cleared his throat noisily to catch the navigator’s attention.  

“Eh? James, sorry. We have had a crisis.”

“Yes, I believe Red-Handed Jill has found something that belongs to you.”

“Eh?”

“Here I am, Poppa!” Makoa squeaked, popping his head up from Wendy’s shoulder.

“Makoa!” Domhnall cried, sighing with relief. Kailani stormed past him, arms out to take the child from Wendy.

“Thank you,” she said with the same flat tonality, but with all the emotion of a relieved mother as she locked eyes with Wendy.

“My pleasure,” Wendy replied.

"There you are Makoa!" The eldest sibling cried, leading his younger brothers and sisters to gather around their mother. "Why did you run away?"

"I did not, Fearghas, you lost me!"

“We were all at the same puppet show! We never left!”

To the child in her arms, Kailani addressed him sternly: "If you ever wander off and worry us again like that, I will lock you in a chest, bury it in the deepest cave and throw the key into the ocean. Do you understand me?"  
The child giggled at his mother's threat. "Yes, Mumma."

"You look like you could use a drink," James said, patting his friend on the shoulder. Domhnall nodded, leading them to the bonfire from the other night, encircled with the tuffets, blankets, and cushions of all shapes and sizes. James and Wendy settled closely together with the other couple sitting opposite, the little boy still cradled in Kailani's arms. The other children hovered together on the other side, watching the festivities go around them. Wendy longed to see more now that the child had found his folk.

Sensing someone behind him, Hook turned to casually shove a pair of siblings as they attempted to make a grab for his iron hook. They fell into a heap on their sides with a, "Ooof!" before crawling back into the shadows, barely containing their giggles.

"Aha!" Domhnall lifted his tankard. "Now we may drink!" He poured James a generous tankard of ale before lifting the jug towards Wendy. "Jill?"

"Give her mead," Kailani ordered before Wendy could politely decline the ale. "Small and sweet, like her." Wendy was unsure if the stoic captain was teasing her until Kailani added as her husband poured Wendy a dainty cup of liquid from the smallest barrel Wendy had ever seen, down to its tiny plug. "It is from our reserves. We ferment this mead on our island, Quixotic."

"Thank you, I'm honored," Wendy replied, savoring the honey tasting wine.

“Will you two be attending Lalita’s ball?”  
  
“We have not decided,” James answered, exchanging a glance with Wendy. “We still need to discuss it.”

“Well, you know we usually bow out after we have said our hellos, but given that this is Red-Handed Jill’s first fete, Kailani and I are more than happy to attend as a show of support.”

“Thank you,” Wendy replied, feeling as if his words were just the salve she needed to heal her soul after such malicious encounters earlier in the day.

"Mumma, we're going to watch the acrobats," The eldest boy announced.

"I want to go!" Makoa demanded, leaving his mother's lap.

"You must stay with Fearghas and never stray from his side. If you do, I will sell you to the wandering tide merchants."

"No!" Makoa protested. "You will miss me."

"How can I miss you? I have so many spares. Good children who do not wander off alone."

"I will be good! I promise."

"Well," Kailani took a sip of her drink, staring at her son over the rim of her mug as she pretended to contemplate him. "As long as you promise." Her eyes flicked up at her elder son. "Return before dawn. Have all of them with you or do not bother returning at all."

"Yes, Mumma."

Wendy wrapped herself around James and leaned over to speak to Domhnall. "I only counted seven children."

"Our eldest, Nani, is with the rest of the crew from _The Crimson Knave_."

“Captain Rubina’s ship?” Wendy asked cautiously, her tone carefully even so as not to arouse any suspicion.

"Yes, do you know her?" The congenial navigator asked.

Wendy answered evasively, "Not properly, no."

“She is a stern captain, to be sure, but younger and with a thirst for adventure the likes of which my wife and I no longer possess. We are content peoples, enjoying the riches and investments of our earlier years. We do not foresee Nani staying on _The Knave_ forever, but she enjoys commitment and structure. Although, she could do with a lesson in how to enjoy play, but Captain Rubina is a most apt scholar.”

 _To a fault_ , Wendy thought.  
  
“Perhaps our Nani will return to us,” Domhnall added with a shrug. “Perhaps she will go on to captain a ship of her own, or stay among the ranks of another ship."

Kailani studied the other couple, her expression impassive as usual, before she touched her stomach and quipped, "We will soon have nine over you, James. You and Red-Handed Jill ought to get started on a miniature crew of your own."

James roared with laughter, the sound harsh to Wendy's ears as she felt cold despite the warmth of the fire and his body.

“Is that such a laughable notion?” Wendy asked lowly, her eyes on the empty mead glass in her hands.

“I find it positively hysterical,” James replied. “As if the pack of dogs I command aren’t unruly enough, nor the lawless children whom ritually beset their pestilence on me. Yes, all I need is a pack of urchins of my own to be the final nail in my coffin.” He raised his tankard to Kailani. “I always took you for an effigy of stone when it comes to humor, Kailani, until this very moment.”

Quietly, Wendy placed her empty glass on the low table on the other side of her lover before slipping away from him and rising to her feet.

"I feel restless and wish to watch one of the spectacles."

"Shall I accompany you?" James asked, looking up at her.

"No. I shall join the children at the acrobats."

"As you wish."

Wendy nodded and left quickly, leaving James with the uneasy feeling he had done or said something improper.

"Husband," Kailani said, leaning towards Domhnall. "This would be an opportune moment to bring out our spread. Find Marley and Tamati to assist."

"Yes, love," Domhnall obeyed, kissing her cheek before taking off. The captain shifted over into her husband's cushion so that she sat directly across from James and leaned heavily on the low-slung table.

"You are an imbecile, James."

James stared into his tankard and shook his head. "Here it is, I knew you would be unable to resist the lecture."

"Shut up and listen to me. That girl is only that, isn't she? Younger than my Nani is now, and certainly more clueless about our life."

"You have been pestering me for decades to find a proper lover, and now that I have you disapprove?"

Kailani leaned on the table. "I do not care that you are fucking her, that is not the matter. What perturbs me and unsettles my soul is the utter recklessness you both display for such a match. You, for your arrogance and Jill for her naivety for how the Neverlands functions.”

"Red-Handed Jill is well acquainted with the Neverlands!" James argued.

"How? Moreover, how did she come by Neverland?"

James knew that Kailani would push and niggle until she wormed it from him, and so between clenched teeth, he hissed, "Peter Pan fetched her."

Kailani's eyes widened. "No! The child-killer himself? The piper? That cannot be. She is too old."

"When she was a child, she was his companion."

"Surely he has forgotten her then? And you plucked her from the jungle?"

James shook his head. "She comes and goes as she pleases." James flicked his gaze to his contemporary. "Pan favors her still."

"So you have taken her as an elaborate plot of revenge?"

 _"I love her!"_ James spat, his blue eyes flashing red.

"So be it, James. But you must understand her as she is so desperately trying to understand you and the world you live in."

"We understand each other perfectly," James said with authority as he drew himself up and puffed out his chest.

"Oh, do you? So, you understood her perfectly when you mocked the notion of children and she immediately pulled away and left your side?"

Replaying the events in his head, James faltered ever so slightly. He saved face by taking an extra long swig of his drink. Kailani reached out and touched his forearm in a rare display of friendly affection.

"You are an old friend, James. I know in your heart it would destroy you to  mislead and shatter the hopes and expectations of any woman, particularly a woman you love."

Exasperated, James growled in frustration, "Why would she even _think_ of children? Why would she even think I would want children?"

"Because that is what naive girls assume when you start calling them wife."

He closed his eyes as Kailani's words stung him like a nest of hornets.

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the chapter that nearly ran away from me because it was SO long! I ended up splicing it and rearranging scenes and then splitting it up overall at a pivotal moment. I don't know why I take joy ending on a low note these days, but here we are. A tremendous shout out goes to Miss CGH for beta-reading this chapter and helping me with edits along the way, I truly appreciate it. As ever, please feel free to bother me on tumblr: www.geek-girl-extraordinaire.tumblr.com and leave me a comment, if you like <3


	6. Chapter 6

Wendy found the children easily enough and was more than happy to take Makoa in her arms again as he demanded to be lifted so as to better improve his view of the acrobats. Yet, for all of their mesmerizing feats, Wendy was lost in her own thoughts. For the first time in all of her years with James, Wendy felt like returning home before her adventure concluded. She knew the feeling would pass; it was a fleeting response to the awful truth revealed to her. _How can James not want children? Is that not what married people simply **do?**_ _Ah, but he did not marry you, a wicked,_ doubtful voice deep within her spoke. _In fact, he avoided the topic altogether. The chemist pegged you accurately: you are merely Captain Hook's mistress._ Wendy’s stubborn, petulant side grew churlish as she huffed under her breath, “Does he not understand what I am giving up to be beside him? To say nothing of my family and friends, but my opportunities!” Her conscious railed against her: _How could he know? You do not share this!_

There was also the matter of the town gossip about her unworthiness, not to mention Captain Scarsi’s tall tale. Did this mean that the lady Scarsi loved so dearly in fact had loved another man? Or that James reciprocated? If indeed the accusation was fact at all, there are likely many scenarios. James had professed never feeling a love like he felt for Wendy, despite being a rather romantic fellow. He gave Wendy no reason to doubt this; for what would there be to gain as his love is firmly affixed to her? Still, Wendy knew the topic needed to be explored sooner rather than later. She was not a fool; Wendy understood that communication would shed light to these mysteries. However, she also knew that once the dam was broken, it was only a matter time before she would have to confess her own secret.

 

After the performance concluded, the children led their new friend to a Viking bonfire, where they seemed very acquainted with the families and took on another score of children to accompany them to more spectacles: belly dancers, tightrope walkers, musicians, jugglers, minstrels, storytellers, puppet shows and theatrical troupes of drama and comedy alike. Wendy drank it all in, and still the beach and the fete went on and on until deciding that, as the almost grown up, it was time to turn back. The children danced and skipped about her, some running ahead just far enough to then come to an abrupt standstill at their panic-stricken brother’s cry of authority.

By the time they found their bonfire again, more crew members of the _Storm Breake_ r and the _Jolly Roger_ were gathered around an impressive spread of food. The children descended on it like locusts; even the Viking children who decided to tag along were welcomed. The stress of her evening vanquished any hunger, so Wendy strolled along the edges of the party. Just on the outskirts of the fire’s glow, Wendy spied a familiar figure: Laddie! He was sitting among a group of youths his own age, a hodgepodge of cultures and ethnicities all united by their joie de vivre. He was especially occupied by the company of an enchanting young lady, speaking to her with such confidence and ease that Wendy almost felt a pang of loss. Conflicted by herself, she turned to walk the opposite way when she heard Laddie cry out to her.

“Mistress Jill! Wait!”

Forcing herself to turn back, Wendy dug her fingernails into the palm of her sweating hands, unsure how she ought to address Laddie after all that has transpired. He likely was unaware of her knowledge, though, and Wendy knew it would be a kindness to keep up the pretense of her ignorance. She forced a smile as Laddie bounded over to her. He stopped just short of her, as if pulled back by an invisible leash. He looked at her as if seeing her for the first time - a look Wendy could not be assured contained a blush by the dancing, untrustworthy light of the fire.

“How are you?” Wendy asked, trying to sound innocent.

He immediately looked down at his feet as he responded a bit too enthusiastically, “Well! Very well. I, uhm. I am sorry I could not join you last night…” He offered no explanation, as if realizing that course of conversation would lead to further awkwardness.

“Think nothing of it!” Wendy quickly replied. “James and I...that is, Captain Hook and I decided to retire early after we ate.” Wendy winced; her words were vague enough to imply precisely why she and her lover chose to retire, and Laddie’s newly acquired education made him shift uncomfortably. “You have made new friends,” Wendy observed, looking beyond the boy.

“Yes,” Laddie shot them a look over his shoulder. “We met at the Market today. In fact, I ought to…”

“Yes, of course. I am sorry to have kept you.”

“No, Mistress Jill,” Laddie said in sudden earnestness, finally looking up at her, even though it likely took all of his will to do so. “You have no reason to be sorry. Ever.”

They stared at one another until Wendy abruptly closed the distance between them and gave him a chaste kiss on the cheek. He smiled for her before returning to his friends.

 

* * *

 

Wendy sat adjacent to the children, watching their play and trying her best to push thoughts of her insecurities out of her mind. _Will I ever know this joy?_  She unfastened her hair and let the night wind comb through her tresses. Captain Scarsi’s and Captain Rubina's cutting words returned to haunt her. _I am a silly schoolgirl, with school girl dreams and expectations. Furthermore, am I turning James into a laughing stock among his peers?_ The thought filled her with dread. Would she ruin James' reputation, and worse yet, his business dealings, because no one took them seriously? Could the personal affairs of another pirate be all that important? If so, Wendy saw their society not unlike the one she was escaping from in England. 

She did not turn when she sensed Kailani’s presence at her side, but merely glanced at the captain from the corner of her eyes.  A platter of untouched food was held out to Wendy, who took it after a moment’s hesitation.

“Thank you,” she replied quietly, accepting the food. She wanted to be upset with Kailani, believe the woman's earlier comment to have been a deliberate trap to ensnare she and James into a most disquieting conversation.

“I do not believe I emphasized this earlier, but thank you for bringing Makoa back to us. Not many stop their carousing to notice a small lost child.”

“I have been a mother to many lost children.” A ghost of a smile played on Wendy’s lip as she added, “Pretend, of course.”

“And one day you shall have the opportunity for real motherhood.”

“But not with James?” Wendy raised her brow, looking at the other woman for the first time since she joined her on the sand.

“Perhaps with James,” Kailani replied with a shrug. “Who is to really say about these things? People change, especially when they are inspired to be a better person for the one they love.”  
  
“That is all well and good,” Wendy replied loftily, seeing through Kailani’s attempt at a truce. “However, I desire James to change because he wants to see it within himself, not to appease me exclusively. Otherwise resentment festers.”

“This is true,” Kailani relents, sensing Wendy’s maturity for the first time.

“You have known James for a vast deal longer than I have, Captain Kailani,” Wendy stated, thinking about Captain Scarsi’s grievances with Hook, and the strange tale he told her earlier that day. _Could James really have stolen a lady from her lover? To what end?_ “Tell me what sort of woman you imagined for him?”

“I never imagined such a thing because frankly, I did not believe such a momentous event would happen.”  
  
“Ever?” Wendy repeated in the hopes Kailani’s memory could be recalled to the event in which Scarsi so deeply harbored resentment. 

“Not in the time I have known him, and I have known him longer than most. Not all, of course.”  
  
“Longer than Captain Scarsi or Lalita?”  
  
“Around the time same as Lalita. Captain Scarsi, I am unsure. He seemed to hold contempt for James from the beginning, or what I deemed the beginning of their acquaintance.”

“I see. And so you are protective of his well-being?”

Kailani laughed. “In truth, my husband and I were immediately suspicious of you; James had never mentioned a wife, or even an attachment. In his defense, of course, he has become more and more discreet with whom he spends his private time. Still, as his friends, we assumed would be prepared for someone so meaningful in his life. So, naturally, when he showed up with you, we thought perhaps you were an enchantress or evil sprite out for mischief. James is typically more clever than that, and needs only protection from himself usually. However, most men are weakened by sweet words whispered from pretty lips.”

Wendy laughs mockingly. “Not everything in this world is trying to maim, trick, or murder.”

“Maybe not, but when his enemy has the face of innocence, one cannot be too careful.”  
  
“I will not defend Peter, but I will not condemn him, either, because he acts with the heart and mind of a child. Permanence is only his physicality and does not touch his memory. I pity him.” Wendy picked up some food but paused to ask, “Why were you suspicious of me particularly?”  
  
“For one, despite his romantic airs, charm, and previous affections, James has never displayed a predilection or commitment to any one person, and for the other...We could tell immediately that you are not who you are pretending to be.”

Wendy raised her eyebrows as she looked down at the remaining contents of her plate, waiting until she finished her bite before replying. “Are we not all pretending to some degree? After all, what are the Neverlands but a collection of make believe turned material.”

“Fair play,” Kailani conceded. “Domhnall and I have ceased suspecting you of nefarious deeds anyway.”

“Oh! What has changed?”  
“You would have either taken my child back to Pan, were you his conspirator, or used him in some dark magic.” She nodded appraisingly. “One could call my trust a mother’s intuition.”

Wendy curled a wind swept tendril around her ear as she smiled at the Polynesian pirate and said, "Captain Kailani, I am grateful we are friends. I would very much loathe to be on the wrong end of your intuition!"  
  


 

After she ate, Wendy returned to James as the night grew darkest before it paled, finding him sitting slightly apart from the crowd, reclining on a bolster, lost in his thoughts. Settling against his body, Wendy felt the comfortable warmth of his presence still, despite their unspoken rift.

 _Perhaps the boy Laddie is better suited to Wendy_ , an insecure part of his brain told James. In response to this errant thought, James wound an arm around Wendy’s shoulders and kissed her head. After a near insufferably prolonged silence, Wendy finally turned to James and gently demanded, "We ought to speak."

Pardoning themselves from the bonfire, Hook and Wendy vacated back to the privacy of their pavilion, hand in hand as the lantern swung in Wendy's other hand, though the couple remained weighed down by silence and inner turmoil. Wendy left his grip as soon as they entered their sanctuary to relieve herself of the lantern and light the lamps. Wendy then began pacing the pavilion in agitation, sorting her thoughts as James hung back with his arms crossed, waiting for the volcano to erupt.

"Is it true you stole Captain Scarsi's one true love?" Wendy asked outright, seeing no point in being tactful. He was thunderstruck by her inquest, but recovered quickly.

"Yes," James replied plainly, knowing it was futile to play coy when Wendy was upset. James added for good measure, "This is not exactly a secret, my sweet, although I do not advertise the facts as they are undoubtedly embarrassing for Scarsi and I wish not to rub salt in his wound."

"Oh, but he wishes to wound you deeply, James."

"I am sure he does,” James replied, tilting his head in curiosity. “What has happened?"

Wendy’s jaw tensed as she looked away out of embarrassment when she replied tersely, "Captain Scarsi accosted me on the street today.”

“Accosted you?” A dangerous glint flashed in James’ eyes.

“He only wounded my pride," Wendy clarified, releasing the tension in her jaw as she realized she was directing her anger towards the wrong man. "Captain Scarsi told me you battled for his lover and stole her away."

Hook’s eyes took on a misty, faraway look as he said breathlessly, "From the moment I laid my eyes on her, I knew she belonged to me."  
  
Wendy shifted uncomfortably, not liking the direction this conversation was headed. She was fully expecting James to deny the accusations, not embrace them. "Was the lady not where she wished to be?"   
  
"Not in the least. Scarsi mistreated her. She was calling out to me like a siren."

"You sound as if you are still in love with her," Wendy retorted with a huff.

"Oh, I am," James replied, smoothing over his moustache. "I am almost sorry that you must share my heart with her. Such a temptress."

Wendy was aghast; she did know whether to cry or slap him. Just as she decided on the latter, her fingers falling into line, James added with a helpless shrug, "Ah, but every Captain is passionate about his ship. 'Twould be a crime to the profession otherwise."

Wendy's hand immediately relaxed as she cocked her head in confusion. "What? The lady you fell in love with and stole from Scarsi is...the _Jolly Roger_?!"

"Of course. What else would it be?"

"A woman, of course!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Do not be ridiculous, Darling." James snorted, kissing her on the crown of her head. "The only woman I have ever truly loved is you."

Reeling from the adrenaline and information, Wendy sat on the edge of the bed as she caught up with her thoughts and feelings.

"Why did you steal his ship?"

The corner of his mouth twitched upward as he began to remove his jacket and vest. "This may come as a great shock to you, my darling girl, but most pirate ships are commandeered some way or another."

"Did you take the _Roger_ from him in the Neverlands?"

"Not at all,” he said, kicking one boot off followed by the other. “I overtook her off the Western coast of Africa."

"Africa?" Wendy repeated, puzzled.

"Yes. Scarsi was a slave trader."

Wendy felt as if the wind had been knocked out of her. "What?"

"He was on his way to the colonies when my Captain gave me permission to overtake his vessel and take the lot for myself. With Ignatius and a dozen or so crew members, we easily bested Scarsi and his men. Scarsi abandoned his crew to their doom and escaped. I would not see him again until I settled in Neverland."

"And what of those poor wretches he was commissioned to enslave?"

Hook shrugged. "I have no use for any human in bondage, and we were not more than a day from their homeland; I simply returned them with deepest apologies for the inconvenience. Some decided to stay on with me, some with my former Captain to replace the men that joined my newly formed crew."

"And you were made Captain."

"I was," James replied with a small smile of pride. "And after some tender loving care and a new flag on her mast, I christened my ship the _Jolly Roger_. She has been my most beloved mistress for many, many years.” He playfully tweaked the end of her button nose. ”I hope you will try not to be too jealous."

Wendy reeled as her mind kept signaling out one fact above all of the rest. “The ban on slavery was established over one hundred years ago.”

“Yes,” James murmured, tucking a stray curl behind Wendy’s right ear. “I suppose it was.”

Standing up abruptly, Wendy walked past him over to the bureau to slip into more comfortable attire. She could not think on his age; it would to lead to further inquiry and possible further arguments. There was still so much to unearth and so little time left before the night was out. Wendy did not want either of them to go to bed angry or upset.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?" James asked her as she knelt to rummage through her clothes. He sat on the foot of their bed and began to further undress. 

"Yes,” Wendy replied, forgoing the more lascivious choices and opting for a simple lawn petticoat with lace insertions. Delicate pink ribbons threaded through the neck, sleeveless armholes and waist. “I particularly relished the spectacles with the Storm Breaker children. They are quite the tribe of mischief makers."

"Indeed at that."

Wendy tossed the undergarment on the bed and began to undress. She paused to contemplate her husband, who remained at the foot of the bed, half undressed, looking lost in his thoughts.

"James...do you really hold all children against Peter?"

James rounded on her, slamming the palm of his left hand down on the bed and kicking a discarded boot across the room. "Damn Kailani for her insufferable meddling! We would not be out of sorts with one another if she did not persist her scrutiny. No, of course I do not hold all children against Pan, but he is the embodiment of the worst traits in children and has thus soured whatever good opinion I may have held for them once long ago."

Wendy finished removing her clothing, letting him stew in his frustration for a few moments in the hopes he would cool. After buttoning the lawn covered buttons of the front fastening bodice, Wendy sat hunched behind James and poised shyly just beside his ear, her soft hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat.

"Could you not find that regard again...with me?"

"Are you in such a rush to have children?"

"No, of course not.” She placed her other hand on his shoulder and rubbed soothing circles. “I want to savor my time with you first."

He finally turned toward her and took hold of the hand on his chest. "Then let us enjoy one another and say no more of it for the present."

Wendy looked at their hands, their fingers automatically intertwining. "But you will think on it?” She looked up at him, her hazel eyes pleading and dogged. “And not just pay me lip service to put off endlessly until I am worn down and cease broaching the topic?"

James laughed. "My precious Darling, I do not believe even for an iota that you could ever be endlessly put off. You are far too tenacious," He kissed their interlocked hands. "And I adore you for it. Of course I will think on it. When I am not enjoying you." They kissed. "Wendy, we do not need to have this conversation for a long while yet. You and I will be together forever, true forever. We have literally all the time in the world before we even need to think of such a monumental decision."

Wendy nodded but remained in consternation, lost in her thoughts with only her furrowed brow to clue James in on what her thoughts might be. Growing increasingly worried with her pensive state, James then offered,

"As far as Scarsi is concerned, the man is a viper and will stoop to any level to sink his poison into you. You would do well to ignore him."  
  
"I would have, gladly, had my ego not already been bruised from the gossip I overheard about myself."  
  
Shifting his body to completely face her, James cupped her face and asked, “Who is gossiping? I abhor gossip.”  
  
"It matters not, only that I do not want anyone to whisper about the silly little schoolgirl that Captain Hook brought to the Blue Moon Fete."

With a sigh, James pulled her closer and kissed her ear before replying in a low voice, "Light of my life, you _are_ a silly schoolgirl." He chuckled as she firmly gripped his collar in her fist and gave him a light shake. “Anyway, I do not hear these criticisms. Love shields me from them.”  
  
Wendy gave him a pitying look as she replied, "Love blinds you, James." She sighed heavily.  “Yet they are not wholly wrong to require proof that I belong at your side. Which is why we shall accept Lalita’s invitation with our most eager acquiescence.”

“Are you certain?” Hook asked, taken aback by her sudden assuredness.

Hook acknowledged her confidence with an affirming nod. "Then I shall accept Lalita’s invitation as the first order of business upon the evening."  
  
“Never mind; I shall answer myself.”  
  
“You are going to call on her tomorrow?” James asked with a curious raise of his brow. He had not been convinced Wendy was open to Lalita’s friendship, but perhaps he had been mistaken.  
  
“Yes. I am going to tempt her with tea.” _In the hopes she will further advise me and affirm that the path I decided on is the correct course of action for silencing my naysayers_. Wendy did not feel the need to add that part, though. After a few more personal and practical preparations followed by extinguishing the lamps, the couple soon settled into bed where they spent more time than they cared to silently pondering their individual worries before finally falling asleep wrapped in one another’s arms.

 

* * *

 

 

Wendy woke up earlier than usual; the sun was still bright and hours away from its nightly descent. She dressed in a combination of Jill and Wendy: cream colored breeches, but a flouncy silk blouse with a cropped jacket of deep, rich forest green embroidered with florals and sensible brown boots. Her hair was fashioned half-up, with an intricate braid to secure what remained of her wavy chestnut hair behind her ears and out of her face. She carried her weapons on her, naturally, and wore her kid gloves, but there was certainly an air of distinguished genteelism about her. After feeling she looked smart enough to be seen publicly, she kissed James on the cheek as he dressed and bade him farewell.

Wendy thought that venturing to the Rue du Lumieres on her own was quite the feat in personal bravery and self-assuredness, though no one paid her any mind with second or curious glances. She was pleased to see Rabi answer the door to the Lilac House and found Lalita was most amenable to tea. She guided Wendy through the beautiful garden, even more radiant in the sunlit hours, and took their tea in a lilac painted gazebo Wendy instantly fell in love with. Once their tea was served with light refreshments - on Lalita’s insistence when she correctly guessed Wendy had not eaten yet - Wendy felt relaxed enough to shift the conversation from pleasant small talk to earnest personal conversation.

“Lalita, I am afraid I owe you an apology. You offered me friendship and I was churlish. You have only shown me continued kindness, and I was wondering if it is not too late for me to amend myself and accept your friendship?”   
  
“Jill, darling, of course it is not too late! If you were churlish, I only blame James as he did not prepare you at all.” She rolled her eyes dramatically and huffed. “So like a man.”

“Then...may I confide in you?”

“I insist.”

“Surely, you have heard people criticizing me these last few days?”  
  
“Mm, I cannot deny that I needn’t use my network of spies to unearth some rumblings of gossip, Jill.” Lalita stirred the milk in her strong Assam tea, being such a lady that her spoon never once clinked against the side of her delicate porcelain cup.

 _Just like Mother,_ Wendy thought, loving and missing her mother for a fleeting moment.

“I wanted to discuss a possible solution to end this idle natter,” Wendy said, drawing herself up in the hopes she may gain an iota of the confidence she hoped she was projecting. “And, possibly obtain your permission, as I will need the use of a room.”  
  
“I am burning with curiosity,” Lalita replied with a smirk. After Wendy shared her idea, and gained not only the approval of her hostess, but also some helpful tips to take along with her.

“I am only sorry I have to do anything at all,” Wendy grouced. “Why do they say such awful things about me? They do not even know me.”

“Among the women who I do know to be guilty of slander, let us say Captain Rubina, I can say with confidence it is jealousy. You have done the impossible in reeling the enigmatic bachelor Captain James Hook.”  
  
“But I did not reel him in,” Wendy protested. “That makes me sound as if I carried out some nefarious plot!” She was haunted by the echo of Kailani’s words from the previous night, and how they suspected Wendy of enchanting James simply because they were monogamous. “James loves me enough of his own free will that I am worthy of devotion. Why must people insist on trivializing this!” Wendy was not a moron; she understood that her husband was desirable; one stroll around Détente Blue Market turned enough heads and raised many eyebrows that even Wendy’s good manners could not turn a polite blind eye to them forever. Lalita seemed to be able to provide some insight.

“Rubina is a strong Captain and therefore has more pride to risk. Her pride is wounded and she uses her slander to dress the wound. She once fancied herself in love with James.”

Wendy was thunderstruck. “Love?” Captain Rubina seemed the sort of woman who ate her mate after bedding them. “It took me years to know James well enough to love him. Does Captain Rubina know him so well?”  
  
“I believe Rubina loves the _idea_ of James, rather than the man himself. Oddly, she does not realize that they would make a terrible pair, constantly locked in a power struggle.”

When they were finished their tea, Lalita took Wendy on a leisure stroll around the gardens; she had never seen a more lush, verdant pasture, clearly made more beautiful by the loving care of a wood nymph.

“You offered me insight about James once before. I was foolish not to take it.”  
  
“What do you wish to know?” Lalita sat prettily on one side of a wide and deep wooden swing suspended from two oaks. She patted the floral cushions for Wendy to join her.

“Am I the first woman with which James has maintained exclusivity?”

“Yes, but he never made any of his previous lovers feel like they were insignificant. James always took the utmost care ensuring they were the complete focus of his attentions in the moment. It never felt as if there were others.” She shrugged. “I make no excuses for the people who speak ill of you, Jill, but you can now understand why some people cannot reconcile that James is devoted solely to you.”

“They will learn soon enough,” Wendy declared with a sly grin, which Lalita reflected.  
  


* * *

 

The next few nights ran together in a blur, with James and Wendy trying their very best to put on a congenial face for one another, despite the insecurities and secrets each harbored in the depths of their hearts. They were especially sweet to one another, affectionate in public as well as private, careful to ignore snarky whispers and side eye glances. The undercurrent of disquiet, however, kept their affections on the surface. Wendy longed to break through her own self-doubt, to declare to this cruel and cold world that it was she who held the heart of Captain Jas. Hook, and never had their burned a love as bright or bold. Opportunity was rapidly approaching, however, and soon Wendy would seize her chance to silence her naysayers once and for all.

"What is troubling you, James?" Wendy asked as they lay in bed; the sun was on the rise, but their extra canvas kept them shrouded in cozy darkness. Her hand was on his heart as he held her taut against him. They had spent the evenings away from one another, Wendy with Kailani, her children and crew, various _Jolly Roger_ crew members, tea with Lalita and Rabi, or tagging along with Laddie and his ever expanding group of new friends. He seemed particularly enchanted by Desta, a stunning young lady whose parents were once river pirates along the Nile, but escaped the ever increasing number of European slavers and colonizers by fleeing to the Neverlands. Wendy did not know what to feel when she spied him chatting and canoodling with young ladies; envy that his attention is diverted elsewhere? Lonely because the mother hen is feeling the empty nest for the first time? For his part, Hook spent his time with Ignatius and Domhnall at weapons makers, securing trade, and checking in with their inventory at the Blue Moon Market, at gambling halls or boxing matches to place bets (or collect winnings).   

“We do not have to attend Lalita’s party. I know you are no longer the blushing virgin, but these parties can become quite the spectacle of debauchery. It is not too late to cancel our plans."  
  
"It most certainly is too late!" Wendy replied sternly, running her fingernails down his chest. He shivered at the motion; they had not been having much sex as of late, and the gesture was striking a match in a room of darkness.

Wendy eyed him suspiciously. “You have not been particularly concerned with my sensibilities until this moment, what is your true hesitation?”  
  
James huffed in defeat. _She knows me too well_. “I overheard this gossip that you previously spoke of. I confronted the man and put him in place, of course, but I worry now that perhaps I am leading a lamb into a den of wolves.” He gently caressed her cheek with the back of his intact hand. “We need not prove anything; they should trust we know ourselves.”   
  
Wendy sighed inwardly. It is not like James to be self-doubting. “Yes, they should, but they do not and they outnumber us. I want acceptance, or at the very least, respect. If I must attend a thousand balls and charm ten thousand naysayers and critics, I shall do it to secure our standing in this community.”  
  
James' heart swelled with pride and love, a feeling still filled with novelty in his otherwise lonely and melancholy existence. He cupped her cheek and kissed her deeply.

“I love you, Wendy Darling.”

 

 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to write shorter chapters more frequently than longer chapters that may take me more time to update. Thank you again to my beta-reader Ms. CGH!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The belle of the ball

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! Happy 2019. I am sorry for the bit of a delay - I was in NYC until December 1st and working non-stop (even through Yule and the Judeo-Christian holidays), also trying to convey everything that I wanted to stuff into this very full chapter. It is un-beta-ed, so please excuse any errors.

The evening of the Rue de Lumieres Ball arrived and Denete-town was thrown into a flurry of anticipation. Anyone invited was preoccupied preparing to look their finest, while those not invited were either pointedly vocal about how glad they were  _ not _ to partake in such a known wanton spectacle, or devising schemes to access entry. As James and Wendy were invited, however, the early hours of their evening were spent on grooming. Wendy gave herself a finally once over in the mirror, smoothing her hands down the voluminous skirt of her gown. 

"Ready?" James inquired, fussing with the cufflink he knew was secure, thanks to his wife.

"Ready." Wendy walked passed him, but was suddenly grabbed by her wrist and pulled back into an embrace. She pressed her hand to his heartbeat as he leaned down to kiss her. 

"I am sorry I have not been very attentive this week," James whispered against her lips. 

"We have had much on our minds," Wendy replied. "Besides. I have every confidence you will make it up to me tonight."

It was just after dusk and a small group of people were waiting for James and Wendy on the main road. Wendy recognized Domhnall, his bushy moustache and beard groomed, and Kailani in a stunning barkcloth dress that showed off the roundness of her growing belly and a painstakingly woven korowai with tassels and feathers from the Never Bird. Wendy opened her mouth to compliment Kailani's dress, but the sight of a strikingly handsome man with fine features caught her off guard her. 

"Ignatius?" Wendy gasped, gliding closer to the quartermaster. His long, heavy warm brown hair that fell at his hips was tied back with a single dark green velvet ribbon. "My goodness, it is you! How handsome you are!" Ignatius glared at her, inciting Wendy to titter apologetically. "I am truly in awe; I have never see your hair loose from its braid." 

"Yes, yes, even I have been known to let my hair down from time to time." He cleared his throat and looked away, ignoring James' ill hidden chuckling. 

"You look beautiful, Mistress Jill," Laddie interjected, his cheeks faintly coloring. Wendy reached out and ran her fingers down the velvet deep forest green doublet.

"And you look very smart," she replied. 

"Mr. Starkey chose everything," Laddie mumbled, running a nervous hand through his hair. Ignatius slapped it away. 

"Stop fussing and fidgeting. You look almost halfway decent and you do not want to ruin it before the lovely Desta has seen you. Now, stop fawning over our Mistress and let us be on our way."

They cut quite the entourage, with Wendy in her black gown with structured Juliet sleeves sleeves and a sweetheart cut bodice which featured a custom portrait of the  _ Jolly Roger _ on the high seas made from paint, embroidery, and small jewels - a gift from James and Lalita, when they had initially conspired together to create the image of Red-Handed Jill. Wendy pretended to tolerate this one last interference, but secretly adored the gown, her fingertips running down the bodice to feel the tiny sapphires and diamonds sewn into the waves for a twinkling, three-dimensional effect. The  _ Jolly Roger _ was outlined in gold thread, a faint shimmer whenever the light caught. The black skirts were trimmed in gold intermittently embellished with black diamonds and pearls of black, blue, and green. She was positively regal, her hair piled high with several carefully molded ringlets bouncing at her ears, neck, and shoulders. 

The street of lights was buzzing with merriment, music, and beautiful people. Whereas the Bonfire boasted people - and not quite people - of all ages in their most relaxed attire, Lalita's privately owned avenue was filled exclusively with late adolescence and adults dressed in their finery, even if their best ensemble was down to their skins. Everywhere Wendy looked alluring people in all sorts of wonderful outfits - be they traditionally formal, ensembles of salacious decadence, or elaborate costume - exotic to her eyes but no less stunning in their uniquely captivating beauty. Guests spilled out of all five of the Houses, drinking, laughing, dancing, eating, carousing, and demonstrating  _ very _ affectionate exchanges. Wendy was impervious to the open lasciviousness by now; she adored the way the denizens of the Neverlands were free from the tyranny of societal expectations and decorum. 

"I feel as if I am learning more about the peoples of the world in two weeks in Denete than I have in ten years at school," Wendy murmured to James as he escorted her down the avenue. 

"Laddie!"

A radiant young woman ran over to them, her hair in an elevated tri-braided style, with smaller braids close against her scalp and a great fountain of black curls at the back of her head cascading down to her shoulders. Wendy reflected on her own recently spoken words; there was not a school prestigious enough in all of England that would offer the opportunity to meet girls her age from the Horn of Africa, as Desta was, in her white habesha kemis with stories of sailing the Red Sea. Desta took hold of Laddie's hand and pulled him from their group.

"There you are! I never thought I would find you in this ocean of people." She acknowledged Wendy with a smile and nod, which Wendy returned. 

"Ehm, wait, wait, I just need," he looked over his shoulder at his superior officers, an apologetic question on his face.

"Yes, go," Starkey said, dismissively waving him off. "Be off with you. Just find your way back to the ship  _ before _ the sun is up."

"Yes, Mr. Starkey!" Laddie called as he was dragged off by Desta towards their waiting group of friends. "Have a good evening, Mistress Jill!"

Wendy waved her goodbye, a small part of her sad that she was not joining them at the pavilion at the end of road, where and outdoor tavern of sorts had been set up along with games and performances from the various visiting bards, musicians, fire artists, and the like. Sensing her wistful melancholy, James leaned down and gave her a kiss on the crown of her head before he  escorted her to the Lilac House, the main artery of the festivities where their party finally broke up, with the  _ Storm Breaker  _ couple going to find their eldest child and Ignatius accosted by an impatient young dandy who unceremoniously dragged him off. As they disappeared, Wendy caught a curious sight: five green dots, three on one side and two opposite, tattooed on his wrist. Wendy did not think anything of it until they began to meander around the Lilac House and she began to see the same tattoo in a variety of colors. Men, women, human, and not quite human; Some were singing, others playing cards, some dancing, and more than a few engaged in a rather robust orgy at least twice the size than the one Wendy first stumbled upon. She was as disinterested now as she had been then, with only the curious tattoos now weighing on her curiosity. As they were soon bombarded with friends familiar and new, Wendy waited until she and James had a moment to themselves as they replenished their drinks. 

"The tattoos indicate they are employees on the Street of Lights, the color matches the House they belong to."

"I should have worked that out," Wendy said, exasperated with herself. "Why a tattoo? It is terribly permanent."

"It is a magical tattoo, not a real one applied with needle and ink. Should anyone wish to retire themselves, the mark will disappear."

"Lalita thinks of everything," Wendy admired, raising her champagne glass to James' tankard of ale.   
  
"That Lalita does."

"Lalita does what?" The hostess herself approached them in a sparkling gown of turquoise and ocean blue.   
  
"We are toasting to your keen entrepreneurial instincts."  
  
"Especially for organizing the most dazzling parties," Wendy added for good measure.   
  
"To myself then," Lalita said, clinking her ornate gilded horn against their vessels. 

They stayed together talking with the circle ever widening to accommodate more guests. As James was engaged in a congenial debate over mainland politics, Wendy felt someone tap her shoulder. She looked to see their hostess making a subtle gesture, which cued Wendy to raise on her toes and give James a gentle peck on his jaw, causing him to turn slightly so as better to hear her as she spoke lowly in his ear.

"Wait here. I must dash upstairs for a moment."

He whispered, "Is this a covert operation wherein you go upstairs and I discreetly follow along a few minutes later to find you in a room where we have our wicked way with one another?"

"No, my love. This is where I escape to discreetly adjust my corset and you wait here like a proper gentleman, shivering with anticipation at my return."

"Aye-aye, Captain Jill."

Her eyes twinkled with humor. "Be careful. I like the sound of that and I may get used to it!" 

They kissed and Wendy slipped away undetected. Nobody noticed when Rabi discreetly followed.   
  
  


* * *

 

No sooner had Wendy fled than Captain Rubina was at James' side. He looked around at his cohorts, but they had began to break off into smaller conversations, and Lalita was dancing with a Barbary corsair. He was trapped.

"Your English rose has fled, James," Captain Rubina teased, her Texan drawl cloying. "Now I may talk to you unencumbered."

"Oh?" James asked, looking down into his ale. "Do you have something so important to discuss with me that my wife could not be privy to it?"

"Your wife!" Rubina scoffed with a dismissive chortle. "No one has set eyes on her until last week; how can she possibly be your wife? What sort of game are you playing at?"

"I was not aware that I am engaged in a game," James retorted, looking up at last. "I am extraordinarily ardent in my love for Jill."

"What can you possibly see in her?"

"If you will not give her the benefit of becoming acquainted with her, Rubina, then what good are my words? To know her is to love her." 

"Harrumph." Rubina shrugged and rolled her eyes at his sentiment. 

James attempted another tactic. "I do believe you were once a married woman?"

"My husband was cold and buried long before I set my sails for the Neverlands."

"Yet surely you can recall the love shared between you, how passion and love radiated from your very core? That is my Jill and I."  
  
"I only knew passionate hatred towards that man, a man who married me for my land and money and tricked my dying father into believing his daughter would be well taken care of. Instead, I took care of myself." She held her head high and proud. "I shot my husband. One bullet right between the eyes."  
  
"I seem to have forgotten that bit."  
  
She stepped even closer to him, so that he felt her breath prickle against his skin as she spoke. "So you see, Captain Hook, our fires are equally stoked. You and I ought to join forces in every way." Hook sucked in a sharp breath as she ran the tip of her index finger down his chest to the top of his buckle. "We would be the most formidable pair in all of the Neverlands." 

His gentlemanly mannerisms slipped as he snarled in a dangerously low tone, "You must cease this nonsense, Rubina, or else we can no longer be friends. I have always respected you. I implore you not to allow that respect to ruin." He gave her a stiff and shallow bow as she flashed him angry eyes before taking her leave of him in a haughty flurry of scarlet. No sooner had Captain Rubina left his side then Ignatius replaced her, pressing a fresh drinking into his hand after taking the empty vessel. 

"Are you getting into trouble, James?" Ignatius asked in a hushed, cautious voice.

"Trying to stay out of it, believe it or not," James replied, inconspicuously shifting his eyes to ensure that nobody saw or heard his exchange with Rubina. Mercifully, everyone was too involved in their folly and vice to have noticed or cared.

"Where has Mistress Jill gone off to?" Ignatius asked as he began to fill a plate with food from the nearby table piled high for guests to help themselves throughout the evening.

"Truthfully, I do not know," James answered, pausing to take a deep sip of his drink. "Something about her corset, I believe."

"I remain, as ever, befuddled and disinterested in women and their matters."

James playfully knocked his quartermaster with his shoulder as he chided, "'Twas you who inquired."

"And I regret it."

"You cannot chastise me; here comes your own tempest."

Mr. Starkey turned from the feast just as a young man with shock of blond hair and a stern eye stomped over to them, insinuating himself between James and Ignatius before draping himself against the latter. 

"Ignatius, where have you been?"

"I promised to bring you food, and here I am."

The pouting young man did not look as if he believed his lover, even though the proof was directly in the food laden porcelain plate griped in Starkey's hand. 

"Hmph. I almost had to wait." He finally took notice of James and eyed him up and down as if inspecting every inch to decide if he were worthy enough to engage with. "And why have I not seen you around the House of Green, sir?"  
  
Ignatius choked on a grape as James replied coolly, "As my quartermaster may have failed to enlighten you, I am presently engaged in matrimonial bliss." He paused before adding, "With a woman."

"Shame." The young man said with a nonchalant shrug. "I could teach her a few tricks, your wife. If you were willing to join us."

"I beg your pardon!" Ignatius exclaimed in mock outrage, unable to hide his laughter. "Gellert, hold your tongue. You are  _ my _ lover and I'll not share you."

"I would share you," Gellert sassed back with a little nod towards James. "With him."   
  
"You are the most impertinent tart I have ever met," James replied before directing his next comment at Ignatius, "You might teach your companion some manners in between tussles."

"No, no," Ignatius argued, running his hand through the young man's blond waves. "I like him just the way he is: vain as a peacock and arrogant as a lion." 

The young prostitute was about to announce his departure with or without Iggy when he became distracted by an alluring new presence across the room. "Who is  _ that _ ?"   
James and Ignatius casually glanced, but promptly did a double take as the new arrival came into focus. 

"Good god," Ignatius murmured in awe. "Is that...Wen - ehm, Jill?"

James could not chastise his quartermaster for nearly flubbing Wendy's public pirate name, for he himself had lost all sense and ability to breathe. Utterly transfixed, James could only behold the sparkling vision slowly walking across the grand parlor, wearing an ensemble made completely from the jewelry and gems he had bestowed upon her over the years. It began as a dramatically V pointed collar on her neck and formed into a ruby and diamond studded harness of sorts connected to a pair of emerald crusted half-moon shaped metal support to cover each breast just above her nipples, leaving the rest of her breasts exposed. Dangling against her ribcage were three looping strings of pearls, leading down to an emerald and diamond studded wide V shaped belt just above her hips, each side layered with tiers and tiers of tiny sapphire laden chains down her hips and over her otherwise bare buttocks. A modicum of modesty was created down the front, a pelt of pearl studded doubloons, hammered thin and layered to make a lovely jingling noise. Her slippers were encrusted with pearls and pink diamonds, glittering with each determined step. Passing by Captain Rubina, flanked by Nani and her other crew and cronies, Wendy merely inclined her head politely with a demure smile. Rubina's face flushed as scarlet as her hair. Lalita raised her glass to her and they shared a wink.

Wendy continued to saunter across the grand parlor, her eyes fixed on James while every eye remained on her. She welcomed their gaze; the whispers that fell silent as she was the center of attention, the very world at that moment. Even the salacious acts between lovers slowed to a near halt, all eyes on her. It felt **glorious**.    
  


"Hullo," Hook breathed, his composure broken if only for a minute. Wendy smirked as she welcomed his warm hand at the exposed curve of her side and his lips against her ear. "Every eye is on you."

"Every eye has been on me since I arrived on this island," Wendy replied coyly, looking askance at the crowd as they murmured at every corner.   
  
"This is different," James slid his intact hand down to her rear, giving her a squeeze under the curve of the chains. "You have been planning this."

"Since the day we received our invitation," Wendy confirmed. "I took all of these lovely baubles to the silversmith and drew him a rough idea of what I wanted. He was only too pleased to have such a creative opportunity."  
  
Raising his brow at her ingenuity, Hook could only smirk before inquiring, "It was my understanding you wished to silence the gossip? Surely, you understand that all murmurs in this room are about you?"

"Yes. I realized that people will always talk. What I can and have done, however, is take control of the conversation."  
  
"You are most ingenious, treasure," Hook complimented, bowing to take her lips. When they parted, he said lowly in her ear, "I am far too gentlemanly to fuck a woman I am exclusive with before the eyes of others...and yet..."

"And yet?"

"You clearly wish to make a statement." He pinched a jeweled breast, directly near her tender nipple, eliciting a hiss from her. "You tell me, my Darling girl, for you have clearly taking the reins on this evening."

"Are you displeased?"  
  
"I am the furthest emotion from displeased I have ever been."

Wendy smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck and swaying gently to the music. "Then let us dance."  
  
All eyes burned on them, but James and Wendy only had eyes for each other as they danced, and danced, and danced. They broke for conversation, to bid Domhnall and Kailani a good night and farewell, to whet their lips with wine, and of course, for kissing; which only escalated as the clock ticked onward. 

_ I never want this night to end,  _ Wendy thought to herself as they danced deep into the night. _ It does not have to, _ a selfish voice in the back of her mind reminded her. _ I cannot leave him. I want him. I want this life. _ In her heart, Wendy was decided: she would return to England anon, finish her school year, and return home only to pack her belongings and inform her parents.  _ I shall thank Miss Stacey for the opportunity, but tell her that I have decided to take my higher education in practical application. I shall tell her I am traveling, experiencing new places and cultures firsthand, something Oxford cannot provide for me. It is not exactly a lie. _

"Why are you smiling like that?" James inquired as they whirled across the dance floor.  
  
"Because I am indescribably happy and in love."

"Oh, are you?"

"Yes. I shall have to introduce you sometime."

His laughter was rich and deep, like a mulled cider by a warm hearth. Wendy's deep, dark selfish voice added,  __ And now James need not ever know of my conundrum to choose between him and school.  
  
The couple was staring deeply into one another's eyes, too lost in the other's gaze to notice the young man hovering near until he politely coughed. 

"Yes?" James asked with a raised brow. 

"May I have the next dance with your woman, Captain Hook?"

James and Wendy shared a silent look of bemusement before Wendy's smirk prompted James to gently step away.  
  
"I do not own her, sir. She is a free woman, able in body, mind, and spirit to make her own decisions."

"Oh," the man replied, recognizing his error in dismissing Wendy's autonomy. He licked his lips nervously as he fidgeted in front of her. He was visibly relieved when Wendy took hold of his hands and guided them to hold her as she pleased for their dance. Though she swayed in tune to the melody and kept her arms around her dancing partner's neck, her eyes kept stealing glances at James, who leaned against a statue of Eros and Psyche as he watched her through heavy lidded eyes. A playful smile began to upturn on her lips before Wendy caught the eye of Scarsi, watching her from a tight enclave of his cronies. What is that curious look in his eyes? Wendy wondered. Lust for her body, or for her blood? 

As he watched his lover dance, James felt a presence slide close behind him. He assumed it was Ignatius until a sneering voice hissed in his ear.

"Isn't she the bell of the ball?" 

James raised an eyebrow but kept his posture relaxed and his attention on Wendy. He did not want to give the snake any undue attention.

"You must be so proud."

"I know you are being facetious, Alonso," James replied lowly before he could stop himself. "Regardless, I am very proud."

"Oh, I do not doubt it. Tell me, how many years did it take for you to defile and corrupt Jill? To turn her from an innocent girl into the exquisite succubus on display here tonight?"

James started in anger, though he willed himself to keep his eyes on Wendy, the light of his life reminding him not to rise to the ugliness in his ear. 

"I did not mark you for a man interested in children, but your residency on the smallest island in these waters, overrun with children, suddenly makes sense."

From across the room, Starkey spied his Captains rigid stance and wide-eyed stare. Craning his neck around Gellert, perched his knee, Ignatius spied a familiar hat peeping from around the statue. "Damn," he muttered before nudging his paramour off of his lap.

"What will you do when she grows too old for your grotesque tastes?" Scarsi continued. "Wait for Pan to lure another unsuspecting girl into your web?"

_ "James."  _

Hook gave a start as Starkey breathed into his other ear; the quartermaster was at his right side, bracing James tightly against his sinewy body to prevent his captain from any sudden and regrettable retaliations. 

"Do not listen to his poison."

"You should continue fucking your quartermaster, James, and leave the children of London in their beds undisturbed by nightmares."

"Shove off, you villainous worm," Ignatius hissed between clenched teeth, his nails digging painfully into James' wrist, just below the iron hook that craved to become more intimately acquainted with Scarsi's throat. "You have no idea what you speak of."

"Oh? Are you so satisfied fucking discarded Lost Boys that you have let your attentions for your Captain slip? And here I thought you were in love with him."

Ignatius bit down on the inside of his cheek to prevent himself from reacting; he soon tasted the coppery tang of blood on his tongue. 

"It does prove to be quite the symbiotic relationship, though, does it not, Mr. Starkey? Pan senses maturity and growth in his disciples, chucks them into the wilderness, and there you are to scoop them up and take them to your bed for further education. Then, when you are done with them, discard them at Lalita's doorstep so they can finally profit off of the skills you taught them. It is a pleasant little system you have worked out for yourself."

"How dare you!"  

Feeling his inner defenses churning, James recovered and retorted, "I know that you tried to drip your toxin into my lady love's ears as well, Alonso. Mark my words, if you ever accost my wife again or bring her harm in any way, I shall launch a storm upon your head the likes of which you have never dreamed."

Scarsi seemed nonplussed as he stepped forward and turned to casually glance back at them, a smile on his square face. 

"Ah, what a merry tune. I am so rarely moved to dance, and yet I feel particularly light-footed tonight."

Releasing his Captain, Mr. Starkey whipped his head around, his eyes burning into the back of Scarsi as he whispered dangerously, "Let me finish the job I started all those years ago, James." 

James quickly cupped his best friend's face and turned his gaze so that their eyes met. "No, Iggy, we cannot spill blood here."

Ignatius clamped a hand on James's shoulder as he argued, "No one will miss him."

"You are probably correct, but we mustn't allow ourselves to be compromised."

Ignatius sighed in frustration, feeling anxious as if old ghosts were circling him. 

  
Wendy and her starry-eyed dance partner were just ending their waltz when Captain Scarsi interjected himself. The young buccaneer blanched and scurried away, leaving Wendy poised for a new, albeit unwanted, partner. Wendy was struck with the irony of their mutual animosity juxtaposed with the upbeat reel they began dancing to.

"Well, Mistress Jill? Have you confirmed my story to be true?"

"Yes, James saw no purpose in concealing that he stole your ship, Captain Scarsi."

"And that his lap dog gave me this," Scarsi raised his chin, revealing a vicious scar that spanned from the back of his left ear under his neck to the right side of his jaw. It was a wound any man would consider a miracle to survive.

"I presume you mean Mr. Starkey?" Wendy ventured, aware no one else had known James so early in his career other than Ignatius.   
  
"The gentleman himself. I cannot blame him, of course, seeing as I was about to put a bullet in his lover's heart."

Wendy saw right through Scarsi's ploy and grinned. "Captain Scarsi, if you are trying to scandalize me, I shall have to disappoint you. As I informed you before: I am well acquainted with my husband; there are no secrets between man and wife." She was pleased to see he was indeed disappointed, but Wendy did not have time to savor her minor victory as she spied James and Ignatius beyond them; their eyes haunted and perturbed. She extracted herself from Scarsi's grip the very second the song concluded.    
"You have had your dance. Goodnight, Captain Scarsi."

Wendy did not wait for him to acknowledge her before taking her leave of him, swooping over to her man and his quartermaster.

"James, Ignatius...you two look as if you have seen a ghost."

"Aye," Starkey replied breathlessly, exhaling abruptly as if he had been holding it in for quite some time without realizing it. His eyes were searching beyond Wendy. "I...uhm...need to find..." His words drifted away from him, lost in a daydream of his own demons.

"Ignatius!" Gellert furiously stormed over and stamped his foot petulantly. This seemed to shake Ignatius as he looked guiltily at his jilted lover, then back at his Captain, as if waiting for approval.

James nodded to his quartermaster. 

"Go, and give your attention to worthier individuals."

Ignatius nodded, offering his arm to Gellert, who linked it tightly and began to crossly dress down his date for setting him aside as they walked off.

"What has happened?" Wendy inquired.

"Nothing of great importance, my love," James replied, taking her hand in his and kissing it. He felt instantly relieved by her presence; her love and concern radiated, burning off the cold callousness Scarsi dripped in his mind only moments ago. Rubbing the back of her hand with his gloved thumb, James smirked. "I do love watching you dance with other men, knowing you will return to my side."

Wendy tilted her head up and smiled. "I am not mature enough to echo your sentiment."

"Jealousy does neither of us any good, my little Darling."

"You do not get jealous at all when I am paid attention by other men?"

"Only in our little lovers play; I am never in earnest. I haven't the energy for such nonsense, no. Jealousy is a young man's game, and the sooner it is over, the wiser he becomes." James tickled her ear and stroked her neck. "I would much rather expend my energy in other endeavors."

Wendy spun in his arms, brushing against him as she played coy. "Oh, indeed? Perhaps you mean dashing upstairs and taking me in my jewels?"

He bent to kiss the top of her breasts. "Do not tempt me, pet. I nearly rose to attention the moment I saw you, and it is taking all of my concentration not to focus on it."

"Then let us away," Wendy breathed hotly in his ear as she grabbed a fistful of his curls and tugged none too gently. "I have want of you inside of me."

"Lead the way, my love." 

Wendy no longer cared if anyone noticed her escaping the party once more; she desired her man as much as he desired her. She took him gingerly by the hook and led him like a dog on a leash. Happily, he followed, gasping when she abruptly turned and pushed him against the wall in a narrow corridor and pulled him down by the lapels of his marvelously decorated jacket in order to aggressively kiss him. His intact hand was on her bare buttocks, kneading and pulling her body against his so that she would feel the sternness of his manhood, rigid with want of her. Temptress that she was, Wendy gyrated against it. 

"I will fuck you here in front of these people if you do not take me to your private chamber, pet," James warned her. Wendy debated it for a moment; lord knows they would only fit in as the revelers around them were currently engaged in their own wanton acts. 

They jumped as a cacophony of loud booming noises were overheard. Exchanging smiles, Hook and Wendy ran outside together where a large group of people were already gathered, looking skyward as the night lit up with fireworks. Wendy spied Laddie down the lane with his friends, an arm around Desta as colors and light blossomed across the night sky. Someone passed him a large bottle of what Wendy could only assume was rum or wine. Laddie contemplated it for a half second before knocking it back.

"Oh, dear," James murmured in mock exasperation. "I do believe Ignatius is in for a very long night."

Wendy snuggled up at James' side and caressed his chest, gaining his attention once more. 

"I do believe _you_ are in for a very long night," she whispered tartly. Wendy carefully took hold of his hook once more and guided him to her upstairs room where her belongings were stowed away. He was on her immediately, kicking the door shut behind them before claiming her lips as her hands sought to relieve him of his clothes. As soon as enough of the constricting attire was off his body, James spun her around and pushed her against the dresser with the oval mirror attached to its top. Wendy was forced to watch herself as he thrust into her from behind, her necklaces and chains jingling in time with his propulsions. Her mouth agape, Wendy planted the palms of her hands atop the dresser to keep herself upright.

"Oh, yes, James, yes," Wendy gasped as she staggered for breath, her knuckles white as she gripped the dresser tighter. "Fuck me! I need you, I need you!"

Vulgarities were not Wendy's strong suit, but tonight was a night for change and boldness. She knew her hips would smarten with bruises from pounding against the dresser. He abruptly pulled out and spun her around, forcefully kissing her as he guided their bodies over to a table where a vase of flowers promptly crashed to the floor. Wendy spread her thighs, groaning as her husband plunged back into her, giving her the fucking of a lifetime. 

"This is always how I envisioned you," James confessed. "Dripping in jewels as I fuck your sweet cunt."

She could only take a few moments of this position, the jewelry not in the least bit comfortable against a hard surface. 

"The bed," she moaned, clinging to his neck to stabilize herself. "Take me to the bed, James."

The jewels would leave marks and shallow cuts on her back, but Wendy was grateful for the soft bed beneath her to cushion the discomfort. She removed a nipple clamp to massage her breast, adding to the pleasure James expertly delivered. He held her right ankle while the left rested on his shoulder, arm wound around her thigh for security as he plowed into her. Her other hand worked her clit, engorged and desperate for relief. When she recognized James was close, Wendy rubbed herself exactly as her body craved. As soon as his grip on her ankle tightened, Wendy came hard with a shriek, measured only in intensity by which James filled her. Collapsing on his back next to Wendy, chest heaving as he struggled for breath, James ran a hand through sweat slicked curls. 

"That was a very lovely frock."

"I thought you might like it," Wendy teased breathlessly. They broke into a fit of delirious giggles.

After they took a brief respite, another round of physical appreciation for Wendy's daring choice of wardrobe, and another, longer respite in which they both actually fell asleep, they deemed it time to leave their hideaway and return to the party downstairs. Wendy decided to return to her dress as the fog had rolled in and blanketed the town in a chill. As she made a quick job of adjusting her hair, she looked beyond her reflection at James reclining half-dressed on the bed, looking quite pleased with himself. She opened her mouth to broach a particular topic with him, but thought better of it as she did not want to potentially ruin a good night.

 

* * *

 

When they ventured downstairs again, it was creeping towards morning and many of the guests have either clumped into groups of all sizes for sexual revelry or dispersed to their own rooms. The library held a dozen or so people, one group lounging on a collection of chaises as they passed a jewel-encrusted pipe attached to a hookah, while the others engaged in slow and sensuous acts of pleasure. Unfazed, Wendy continued on to the grand parlor. "What were they smoking?"

"Opium, and I do not recommend picking up such a vile vice. It will drain the very joy from your soul."  
  
They drifted from room to room to see if anyone they know was still around, but mostly wound up walking in on people sleeping, smoking, or fucking. They eventually wandered into a courtyard packed with lush tropical plants and found Ignatius perched on the edge of a cushioned stone bench with a comforting arm around a crying Laddie, who head was in his master's lap.

"Shush, lad, there will be other women," Ignatius told him in a nurturing tone as he brushed the boy's auburn hair back from his face and neck.

"I don't want another woman. I want Desta."   
  
"I am sure she is quite unique. You will always hold her in your heart, but you cannot control the will of another."

"What is this?" James asked, causing the pair to start. 

Ignatius looked over his shoulder and wearily grinned. "Just too much alcohol and a bit of a broken heart."

Wendy stepped forward, wanting to go to the boy she considered her own, but James took hold of her and slid his hand into hers. His eyes pleaded with her not to intervene. Wendy inhaled sharply but nodded as she exhaled. James kissed her lightly on her forehead in thanks. 

"Where is your cheeky little peacock?" Captain Hook asked.

"Angrily waiting for me to return to his bed," Ignatius chuckled. "I did warn him I would be playing nursemaid tonight."

"Shouldn't we…?" Wendy asked.

"No, Mistress," Ignatius replied before Hook could, not unkindly. "Laddie falls under my care now. You have done a marvelous job, but it is time for Mother to devote her attention back to someone else."

Wendy felt warmth spread inside of her; Mr. Starkey rarely gave her praise, this she took to heart. Silently but confidently she walked over and kissed Laddie on his head, so gently he did not even notice or look up. Then, not quite impulsively, Wendy kissed Ignatius on the crown of his head, too. 

"Thank you for taking care of him," she whispered. "Both of them."

He could not have looked more shocked if she had slapped him, and yet a rare soft smile twitched in the corner of his mouth. That would have to do. Wendy returned to James' side and curled her arm around his before they stepped into the pre-dawn morning light and headed towards their home by the sand and sea.  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For extra credit, I recommend Googling the traditional korowai and barkcloth dress, as well as traditional Ethiopian hairstyles, habesha kemis, and all of the fashion I researched. I may be into fashion, just so you know. I like developing periphery characters, if that isn't obvious as well. Do you like them? Are they a distraction to the good bits? Anyway, please leave a comment and let me know your thoughts. Thank you as ever!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time in Dénete is dwindling.

Captain Hook woke in his bed inside the seaside pavilion quite late the next evening. Wendy was curled next to him, sound asleep with the covers drawn tightly around herself. He would have liked to return to sleep, but he already felt and heard his thoughts buzzing and humming away, ensuring sleep would not be permitted for quite some time. Sitting up, James raised his arms directly above his head, took hold of his opposite wrist and stretched upward, feeling his joints and muscles contract and release. Though Neverland granted him eternal life, it did not prevent the aches and pains of being in an adult body that can still be amply abused. He felt a soft tugging at his hair, a wild nest of curls always at its most untamed when he woke. Peeking over his shoulder, James smirked to see Wendy sleepily peering up at him, her fingertips softly coming into contact with his back as she raked her hand through his hair.

"Good evening." He greeted her softly.

"Good evening," she replied.

"I thought you were asleep."

"You moved away from me."

"My humblest apologies."

Wordlessly, Wendy scooted up on the bolster and drew her knees up and parted them in an invitation. James happily accepted, turning and lowering himself to shift his body on top of hers and settle between her legs. His mutilated arm wound around her neck for purchase as he used his left hand to guide his cock in her very eager sex. He felt her nails along the skin of his back this time, lightly at first but with increasing sting as he rocked back and forth, sliding in and out of her. She moaned softly, savoring the sensations of their lovemaking. Slow and methodical, James kissed the sleep off of Wendy's face, until she was moaning open mouthed with each precise propulsion. When his body demanded it, James began to quicken his thrusts, prompting Wendy to tighten her thighs around his hips and curl one arm around his neck to steady herself as they slid together, over and over, and over. When he came inside of her, Hook kissed her before burying his face against her neck and hair, his hips jutting against hers as he emptied into her. After he was spent,  James gently lay atop her breasts, closing his eyes as she ran her fingers against his scalp.

"What is on our agenda this evening?" Wendy inquired after she caught her breath.

"This particular evening? I do not believe we shall venture far, if at all. Most of the town will be asleep until mid-morning."

"Morning?" Wendy echoed. "We have not seen that time of day since before we arrived."

"Aye, but the Market is nearly at an end. Visitors will be packing up over the next few days, completing final trades and sales. By this time next week, we shall be moored in Neverland once again."

"Next week?" Wendy repeated with a question in her voice. "You speak as if it will take us days to reach Neverland."

"If the wind and weather are favorable, it may."

"But...it only took us a day to reach Dénete."

"Time and distance cannot be measured the way it is in the mainlands. It only _felt_ like a day to you."

"Hm." Wendy chose not to attempt to contemplate the finer complexities of the Neverlands. "I will be sad to leave." Curling a lock of his hair around her index finger, Wendy asked, "Have you ever considered relocating to Dénete? It could prove to be more enterprising, plus you would not find yourself fighting Peter any longer."

"I had contemplated it numerous times, but the drawbacks far outweigh the benefits. I do not like being surrounded by people, I would have to socialize more to keep any business afloat. The open hostility of Neverland inhabitants is a damn better prospect than the hidden enemy in smiles of potential competitors. Additionally, the materials I source have far more value and I would not be able to secure them if I resided elsewhere."

"Pragmatic as ever, Captain Hook."

"Aye, my adoring Red-Handed Jill."

"Do you believe that my taking the reins on the gossip last night will have a lasting effect, or will everyone revert once the new dawn has risen?"

"We shall discover together, tomorrow."

 

* * *

 

The weather took an upswing, with the humidity heavily blanketing over the port town. Wendy accompanied James to collect his debts at the gambling houses, and was persuaded to join Kailani and Domhnall with a group of rogues in the shade of a covered veranda. It was sweltering despite the cold drinks in their tankards, and tired of seeing her husband suffer, Wendy removed James vest and sweat soaked linen shirt, but insisted she remain cozily perched on his lap. Women around town were in as little as they dare, and Wendy herself had created a Spartan peplos out of her chemise, now playing the role of James' lucky charm once more.

"No jewels for you today, Mistress Jill?" A Viking man with a forked beard teased.

"Only the jewels my husband will purchase for me once he has emptied your purse, sir." Wendy sassed as she slipped her arms underneath James' and coyly rested her head against his shoulder. James smirked; she was behaving particularly bratty to everyone today, and he loved it. Wendy had every reason to feel proud and gloat; her peacock strut at Lalita's party paid off: everywhere she went, Wendy was acknowledged. Courteous tips of the hat or a catch of an eye and a bow of the head were the norm, but some went out of their way to approach her and inquire after her health.

"Who would have thought all I had to do to earn a little respect was appear in public with as little clothing as possible?" Wendy had murmured to James.

"It wasn't about that, any showgirl can prance around in her drawers. It was the fact that you out shined them in a display of boldness, wealth, and ingenuity all the while holding yourself with a grace they did not yet notice because you were, in the eyes of your critics, in a costume."

"As in, my regular apparel?"

"Yes."

"Because they did not believe me to be a true pirate."

"Correct."

Wendy knew all of this and still did not understand the logic, but she was satisfied with herself anyway.

"Only in the Neverlands can a woman wearing nothing but her jewels at a ball and command respect," Wendy commented wryly.

Wendy now sat perched in James' lap, her feet idly swinging to one side of the chair he sat in. He showed no signs of moving on with his errands or a losing hand. Bored, Wendy buried her face against his neck, kissing and sucking the salty sweat in the hollow, hoping to entice him to leave the table in favor of whisking her off to a darkened corner for a brisk romp. Her eyes fell on a familiar figure descending from a staircase just inside, his braid being held onto by a strikingly handsome, pouting young man. Wendy watched as Ignatius turned at the bottom of the stairs and kissed the man several times as he simultaneously disengaged himself. Words were spoken, and something most displeasing must have been uttered as the young man cracked his palm against Iggy's face before he stormed off.

"Looks like your quartermaster's in a bit of hot water." Nani observed with a smirk.

"Hm?" James raised a lazy brow, only glancing over his shoulder before focusing on his cards again. Ignatius huffed by their table, prompting Wendy to reach out and grasp his wrist.

"Are you quite alright, Mr. Starkey?" She asked with concern before releasing him.

"Me, Mistress Jill? Oh, yes. Too well." He flexed his back, wincing as his bones cracked and then emitted a sigh of relief.

"You seem to have upset that young man."

Ignatius touched his cheek and smiled wistfully. "Well, he is rather heartbroken that I am departing in a few days time and begged me to allow him to return to the _Jolly Roger_."

"And, pray, what did you say to him?" Hook asked, never taking his gaze from his cards.

"Refused him, of course," assured the quartermaster. "I tactfully reminded him that he was an insolent urchin the first time around, that he found the work miserable, and that I can only handle one tyrant barking orders in my ear." His eyes glittered playfully as James shot him an incredulous look.

"You look like you could use some sleep, Mr. Starkey."

"Sleep is for the voyage home."

"Oh, you mean when you are supposed to be attending to your duties?" James inquired.

"And where are you off to now?" Wendy asked.  

"The day is still young, and I have a full list of appointments to keep." He suddenly took hold of James' tankard and drank deeply before setting it down, emptied. "Saying farewell is never easy, but always exhausting." He patted Wendy on the head. "Ta ta, Mistress Jill. Should Laddie come inquiring after me, tell him I shall return to the _Jolly Roger_ anon and not to wait up for me."

"Tell the boy yourself," Domhnall said, nodding towards his view of the inside main room. Laddie was inside the gambling house, rubbing his eyes with one fist as he suddenly spied them and ambled over to their table. Ignatius took hold of his shoulder and shook him lightly.

"Finally awake, are you?"

"I feel awful," Laddie groaned. He looked a damn sight better than he did the last time Wendy clapped her eyes on him, though, if a little tired.

"Yes. You look terrible as well."

"Ignatius!" Nani and Wendy admonished. Kailani and Domhnall laughed with James and the other three members of their game.

"At least you have fresh clothes on."

"I don't remember putting them on," Laddie confessed, tugging at his fresh shirt.

"That is because I did," Ignatius revealed, wrapping a brotherly arm around the young man's shoulders. "After you were done retching your guts out, of course."

"Thank you," Laddie mumbled, a blush rising as he looked nervously at Wendy and the other women at the table.  
  
"Come now, say goodbye to your Captain and your Mistress and let us put some food in you. That will help to soothe the splitting headache."

"H-how did you know I have a splitting headache?" asked Laddie as the quartermaster began to lead him away. Ignatius merely threw his head back and laughed.

"And when we are done eating, you will find your friends to say your farewells. There will plenty of work to do in the coming days, so enjoy this little freedom while it lasts."

"B-but where shall you be?"

"Saying a very thorough farewell to all of _my_ friends."

When they were well out of earshot, Nani leaned over the barmaid pouring them fresh drinks and asked, "Has the boy truly never been hungover before, Captain Hook?"

"I honestly have no idea, my dear. I leave the childrearing to Mr. Starkey."

"Who the hell was that?"

Everyone turned to see the young man who had slapped Ignatius, a cigarette holder clutched tightly between his fingers as he stared wildly at the rapidly disappearing figures down the road. Agitation and jealousy were illustrated all over the young man's otherwise beautiful face as he tapped his thumb against the mouth of his cigarette holder and worried his bottom lip. His other arm was crossed against his chest.

"Speaking of which," James muttered under his breath before addressing the young man. "He is part of my crew, Lord Oaken. You needn't worry; the boy has not replaced you in _all_ aspects of your former duties."

The young man turned slowly towards their table and cast a loathsome, withering look at Hook before his eyes settled on Wendy. He stepped forward and put on a smile.

"Best of luck with this slippery codfish, dear," The young man said as he dropped his cigarette into Captain Hook's tankard and sauntered off. An uncomfortable silence descended on the group before Kailani decided to change the subject.

"Where is your Captain today, Nani?"

"Breaking her fast with Captain Scarsi, I believe," Nani replied conversationally.

"I was not aware those two are acquainted."

"I believe they are interviewing new recruits together."

Kailani snorted. "I did not realize Alonso valued anyone's opinion."

Nani shrugged, not as well acquainted with Captain Scarsi's reputation as others were. Wendy pressed her lips against James' ear; no one would have thought she was doing anything save for being his affectionate pet.

"That is an alliance fraught with foreboding," Wendy whispered.

Captain Hook merely exhaled through his nose in response, his attention intently focused on the game at hand.

 

* * *

 

"Did I understand Ignatius correctly?" Wendy asked when she and James were alone later that day, packing up their personal possessions from the pavilion. It was to be their last night there. "Was the young man he was visiting at the gambling house a former crew member of the _Jolly Roger_?"

"His name is Oaken, and yes, he was." James handed her the last of his jackets from the wardrobe to fold into his trunk before he sat on the end of their bed. "And before that, he was a Lost Boy."

Shocked, Wendy turned to look at him. "And you took him on?"

"When Pan tried to kill him for the crime of inevitably growing up, yes. He begged me to take him on as cabin boy."

"I do not know this boy. That name is unfamiliar."

"This was well before Pan ever found your nursery, my sweet."

"How did he come to live here? Why is he no longer part of the crew?"

"He became more interested in keeping my quartermaster to himself than learning the intricacies of piracy. I let it go on longer than I ought to have as Ignatius was rather infatuated, but once the boy began whispering mutinous sweet nothings in Iggy's ear, I knew the lad had to find a different occupation."

Stunned, Wendy ceased wrapping her jewelry and stared open mouthed. "He incited mutiny?"

"Telling Ignatius he would make a far superior captain."

"What an imp!"

"Ignatius eventually convinced him that it would not end well and steered him towards another line of business. He has done well, managing the gambling house his husband left him."

"He is married?" Wendy asked.

"Widowed. He started out in the Green House on the Street of Lights, but some fathead mainland noble went and fell in love with him. Bought his contract outright and taught him about the gambling house business. It is my understanding Oaken is a much shrewder businessman than his husband ever was and brought in much more profits. Anyway, this idiot who fell in love with him had to have known Oaken was unfaithful, or else did not care. In the end it did not matter, as he died and left Oaken everything: title, money, a thriving business. However, despite all of his prosperity, Oaken always desires what he cannot possess." Hook sneered. " _Lord_ Oaken. As if titles matter here! Well, he was always a pompous little shit. No wonder Ignatius was wrapped around his finger; he does have a type." James fell pensive for a moment, suddenly very self-aware, until he shook himself out of his reverie and added, "As you will recall, I was hesitant to accept Laddie onto my ship because of a previous bad investment. Now you understand."

"Sounds like he was in love with Mr. Starkey."

"If you define such a thing as possessive, jealous obsession."

"And Ignatius still associates with him?"

"What Iggy does with his own time here is his business." James made a face as he scratched an invisible itch behind his ear. "Although I will now have to caution him now that Oaken has a damn fool notion about his relationship with the boy, Laddie."

Wendy bit her lip and reluctantly asked, "It _is_ only in his imagination, right, James?"

"Of course!" James snapped without meaning to, softening his expression after Wendy recoiled. "I am sorry, pet. It is a tender subject. I would not be so defensive were it not for that poison Alonso Scarsi dripped into our ears the other night."

"What? You mean the night of the ball?" A memory came to Wendy. "When I saw you two, you looked positively wan! Yes, you two were white as sheets. What did that beast say?"

"He...made an insinuation...no, it is ridiculous."

Wendy crawled over to him, settling between his knees and caressing the top of his thigh reassuringly. "Tell me, my love."

"He insinuated that Ignatius and myself have an unnatural attraction to children."

"What? That is preposterous."

"Is it?" Hook raised his brow.

"Why?" Wendy asked naively. James looked at her pointedly. "Me? No!" Wendy scoffed. "You forget yourself, Captain Hook. I wanted you very much. You would not have pressed your advantage without my invitation."

"I know," James quietly replied before taking her chin and running the pad of his thumb across her plump rosy lips. "But knowing the fear in the hearts and souls of man is a magic the Sirens possess. Drawing it out, luring men to their doom by planting a seed from within...These are all born from the island Anthemusa. And now it seems Scarsi has been flexing his newly acquired tricks."

A new thought began to formulate in Wendy's head. "James."  
  
"Hm?"

"How could Scarsi even make a vile suggestion unless he knew Laddie is a former Lost Boy? I thought we were to keep our associations with Peter a secret."  
  
"Oh, I am the fool." James ran his hand through his hair as he sighed in aggravation. "He did not specifically single Laddie out, so perhaps I put the association there and he merely assumed."

"Perhaps," Wendy began, despite not wanting to believe her own words. "Captain Scarsi is acquainted with another former Lost Boy."

"Oaken." James did not want to believe it, either, for it insinuated far deeper crimes that were all circumstantial for purposes not yet known. "We will be departing in a few days time, and whatever Alonso's lies and intent will die with the tides and wind." He could see the worry on Wendy's face. "Am I clear?"

Wendy raised up and held his gaze and cupped his cheek. "As long as you remember well that I love you, of my own free will and no one can ever rip us apart. Is that clear?"

"As crystal."

Wendy kisses him before hoisting herself off the floor to return to her task. James observes her with an apologetic smile.

"I am sorry I am not much use to you in these domestic matters, my dear."

"You are a great help to me," Wendy replied as she delicately folds her items from Lalita's tailor. "You are keeping me company. Besides, it is not your hand that makes you useless at this task; it is that Smee does all of this for you, as servants have doubtlessly done before him!"

Hours later, when their possessions were nearly packed away and they were cozily tucked into bed together, Wendy pulled close against James chest and waiting for sleep to overtake them, James spoke.

"I do hate to ruin our idealistic haven, but as soon as we sail back to Neverland, you ought to return to England."

"Yes, I have been thinking on that myself."

"I know you hate for me to fuss, so I shall not ask if you have had any trouble with your memory."

"Good, because I have not."

"Did you enjoy our little seaside sanctuary, my little Darling?"

Wendy smiled lazily as she watched the fading orange glow of their stove through heavily lidded eyes. "Yes, it was the perfect voyage à la façon anglaise."

"I am not familiar with that term."

"A bridal tour?" Wendy offered, to no avail judging from the shrug she felt. "A honeymoon. It is when a newly wed couple go on holiday to celebrate their marriage."

"Oh, I see. Yes, I suppose one could call our little slice of paradise here a - what was it? A honeymoon. Yes. You know, I try so desperately to stay abreast of all of these modern things, but I simply cannot remember them all."

Wendy groaned. "You are sounding dangerously like Father, my dearest."

James let out a mocking gasp. "Horror indeed."

 

* * *

 

"Are you certain you do not want my help?" Laddie asked for the half dozenth time as he watched Mullens, Ignatius, and Cecco haul Captain Hook and Wendy's belongings from their stately pavilion to the waiting cart.

"Yes, boy, I am certain!" Ignatius snapped, exasperated with the overly eager young man.

"Only I feel you are too important for such menial tasks, Mr. Starkey," Laddie added, dashing to keep up as his quartermaster stormed away. Ignatius let out an aggravated sigh and decided to rest on the veranda, pulling the young man close to him.

"Charmed as I am by your clear attempt to curry favor with me, lad, you had best heed my commands instead. Take Mistress Jill and go into town. Find your friends, play games, shop for any last little trinkets. She will only be underfoot and our captain does not want her alone." He stared heavily at Laddie. "I thought you would relish this chance to spend time with her."

"Stop teasing me," Laddie mumbled, looking down at his feet.

"I am not! She is certainly looking forward to spending more time with you. Are you going to disappoint her?" Laddie looked up and shook his head. Starkey nodded approvingly. "There's a good lad. Come now, this is not a jape. I know I played a bit of a trick on you, but surely you did not have such a terrible time?"

Laddie nodded, still reluctant to speak of his very shocking visit to the street of lights. "It was not awful,” he murmured. “But, Mr. Starkey, I still have questions..."

Ignatius quickly held his palm up to stop the boy from continuing. "I know you still have a lot of questions, but the last person you should talk to about the mysteries of women is another man. Especially a man like me."

"Who should I talk to then? Mistress Jill?"

"As long as you speak in general terms and not specific to her," Ignatius carefully instructed. "You do not wish to inadvertently learn private things you need not know."

"What should I do about Desta?"

"If she wants to talk, be smart and listen first. If she doesn't, respect her and steer clear."

Starkey raked his fingers through Laddie's thick, long auburn hair and smiled at him. "I'm proud of you, boy. You have outdone yourself this voyage."

"Really?"

"You have come a long way. Oh, you still have a long way to go, but you're all right."

Laddie threw his arms around Ignatius and embraced him tightly.

"Yes, yes, happy families. Now take Mistress Jill and be off with you."

 

* * *

 

"I am sorry you were assigned to be my chaperone," Wendy said as she and Laddie strolled barefoot along the beach, now mostly void of structures and encampments. The day was bright with just enough salt-kissed breeze to ward off extreme humidity.

Laddie assured her, "I'm here to protect you."

"It's alright, Laddie. I realize I am of no use to anyone when there is much physical labor going on.”

"Did you have a nice time Dénete?" The cabin boy asked.

"Yes, for the most part. How about yourself?"

"Yes. Only...I wish I had not fallen out with Desta. I would hate if she were cross with me forever."

Her natural maternal instincts kicking in, Wendy wrapped an arm around his and asked, "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

Laddie shrugged and he nudged a conch shell over with his big toe. "There is nothing really to talk about. I couldn't very well abandon the crew and she was too far in her cups to understand that. So she yelled at me and hit me and told me I do not really love her so we may as well never see each other again."

Wendy stopped walking and turned to look at her former Lost Boy. "Wait, how do you mean? _Abandon_ the crew? Our crew?"

"Desta wanted me to leave the _Jolly Roger_ and join her father's crew so we could eventually be together, maybe, hopefully. But I told her I could not leave my position after only a few years. I'm not ready to leave Mr. Starkey; he has been so good and kind to me. I don't know what it is like to have a brother, or a father. These are just words to me...I only know you, Mother, even if it is just pretend. But I know what a family is. I thought Peter was family, once." Laddie shook his head. "But he wasn't, not really. Now I finally have one, and I cannot exchange it for a new one because I've only just got the swing of it all. Besides, how does that look? No captain would respect a cabin boy for abandoning his position, however low, on a renowned ship with a respected captain and crew. Would they?"

"No," Wendy whispered hoarsely when she realized he was waiting for a reply. Wendy’s heart warmed with pride and love for Laddie's devotion to his new life. James would scoff at the sentimentality, but Wendy knows he would also be proud.

"I know not if it was just the alcohol that made her angry and hurt, or if I truly wounded her." Laddie tilted his head at her. "What do you think, Mistress Jill?"

"I think..." Wendy cleared her throat, trying to assimilate all of the facts in her mind. "I think we ought to look for Desta and have a long, pleasant conversation over tea and cake."

 

They headed back to the marketplace and Dénete town square, jammed packed with people seeking last minute bargains and barters, or visitors breaking down and dismantling their stalls. Squeezing through the crowd, Wendy and Laddie held tightly to one another so as not to be separated. A large horse drawn cart was at their stall, with Ignatius standing in it, barking directions at the rest of the men as they organized the disassembling of wood and canvas. He caught sight of them and bowed lowly.

"Afternoon, Mistress Jill. Bored already?"

"On the contrary. Laddie and I thought we might attempt to seek out Desta and invite her along for tea and cake.”

Ignatius wiped the sweat from his brow and caught sight of something beyond Wendy, giving the young woman a nod. “It appears someone else was also on the hunt.”

Slyly, Wendy casually glanced over her shoulder to see Desta press through the crowd and surprise Laddie.

"I do not want us to part with angry words between us," Laddie said, clutching Desta's hands as Wendy kept a polite distance, though still within earshot, to give the reunited youths a modicum of privacy. "I am sorry I cannot join you, but it would be craven to leave the _Jolly Roger_."

"My father said the same," Desta said, tears in her voice if not her eyes. "He said he would not take you on unless Capitan Hook himself brokered the deal."

"I am not ready to leave the _Jolly Roger_. Perhaps later, when I am older and moved on from cabin boy."

"Then this shall be our last day together."

Wendy smiled to herself. She was happy for Laddie, truly happy, without feeling the shadow of envy and regret. On the contrary, she suddenly missed James and craved his presence. She could feel their time together crawling to an end and ached to be near him and savor every minute before they had to part again. _Only one more parting before we are together forever._

“Where is my husband, Mr. Starkey?" Wendy inquired of the quartermaster.

"He went with Rabi to collect our earnings."

Wendy began to debate whether she ought to play third fiddle to tea and cake, or quietly depart after getting the two youths situated when Laddie's voice penetrated her thoughts.

"Ouch! Something stung me."

Wendy looked over her shoulder, but lost sight of the pair as a company of _commedia dell'arte_ performers paraded their way through the town square, a crowd of cheering admirers flanking every side of the troupe. The _innamorati_ , Flavio and Isabella, were the last to swan by, sighing dramatically at one another as they held each others hand and made their way to the wagons with the rest of their troupe, their departure imminent. Wendy watched the troupe continue onward down the lane, a shiver running down her spine despite the frivolous gaiety.

"Laddie?"

The tone in which Desta spoke sent a prickling sensation creeping down Wendy's core as she turned to look at her own pair of young lovers. Her brow furrowed, Wendy watched the scene unfold before her as if it were all slowing down, like sap on a tree: Laddie touching his side, a tiny pinprick of blood on the tip of his finger. The confusion in his unfocused eyes as he began to sway. The spell was suddenly broken as Wendy dove for him, nearly falling herself under his weight, but managed to ease him gently onto the ground. Desta's scream of anguish turned into an accusatory shout of fury as she pointed at two men walking calmly into the tail end of the crowd.

"Those two men! They did it!"

Ignatius was already leaping down from the cart, hand on the handle of his whip as the crowd parted for him, eager to disengage from the guilty parties. The men broke into a run, with Ignatius hot on the heels of the faster of the pair, his whip already snapping above his head as he called for assistance from the public and pointed to the other assailant. 

"Stop that man! Murderer!"

With a deafening crack, the whip snapped through the air and wound around one of the criminal's calves; a sharp tug and he was on the ground, writhing and desperate to escape. Any quartermaster worth his salt knows how to wield his weapons of punishment, though, and the criminal's efforts were in vain.

"Cecco!" Ignatius hollered, grateful the lumbering Italian was already close by to take hold of the stranger so he could dash back to the fallen boy. Throwing himself down on his knees, Ignatius took hold of Laddie's face, already losing its flush of life, and lightly slapped his cheeks.

"Come on, lad. There's a good boy. You'll be alright." Ignatius ripped the boy's sweat-drenched linen shirt to find the entry wound. Confusingly, it was quite small; only the thinnest blade, practically a needle, could have pierced the boy's skin, and it was a shallow wound at that. However, the veins blossoming to visibility just under the rapidly paling skin gave the quartermaster pause.

"Ignatius," Wendy whispered, horrified by what she saw, but willed herself to be impassive and resilient for Laddie as she began to apply pressure with her hands. "The wound is but a scratch. What is happening?"

"Poison," Ignatius murmured, trying to figure out his next course of action, but unable to hear his own thoughts over Desta's sobbing. "Calm yourself, girl!" He barked. "You will frighten him! Laddie will be fine. Right, boy?"

"Mr. Starkey," Laddie pleaded. "What's happening? I'm cold."   
  
_Cold?_  A baffled Wendy thought as she smoothed back Laddie's sweaty brow. _He is burning hot with fever and dripping with perspiration!_

"Shush, now. Lie here and remain still." Ignatius looked up at Desta. "Make yourself useful, girl, and fetch the apothecary!"

Desta took one step backward but could not find the strength to leave.

"Mother..." Laddie croaked, staring at Wendy.

"Mother is here, dearest," Wendy replied as tenderly as she could, ignoring the bloodstains on her palms as she took Laddies hands and brought them to her lips. The veins in his face bloomed a vicious purple yet Wendy looked upon him as if he were the most beautiful child she ever laid eyes upon.  

"Mother...I am sleepy."

"Don't close your eyes, lad! That is an order!" Mr. Starkey pleaded, but the cabin boy never had a chance to shut them before they were locked in death. "Laddie?"

With a tremendous wail, Wendy crumbled lower onto the dirt road, resting her head gently on Laddie's still chest, her hands still futilely clutched onto the former Lost Boy. Simultaneously, Desta collapsed in a faint, her rapid descent to the ground quickly stopped by Bill Jukes, who hoisted the girl in his arms as if she weighed nothing. Though tears danced in his eyes, Ignatius only stared down in shock at the corpse of his cabin boy.

"You must take him to Armistice Nocturna and the Council," people in the gathered crowd were murmuring.

"Yes," Ignatius replied mechanically, sitting up straight and sniffing back any tears. "Get up, Mistress Jill."  

Wendy shook her head. "I cannot leave him. He needs me." She cried out in protest as she felt strong but not unkind hands help her to her feet. Her hands were covered in blood where she held at his seemingly insignificant wound; her face smudged with dirt and tears, her clothes ruined.

Ignatius slipped his arms under Laddie's body and gently cradled him like a small boy as he rose to his feet. He looked up to see that the blacksmith possessed the second murderer in his grasp, while Cecco held fast to the man Ignatius had caught with his whip.

"Come, Mistress Jill, now is not the time to mourn." Ignatius said hollowly. "Now is the time we seek justice."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sorry for the delay. This chapter was actually 75% written in one go, but because I am quite attached to characters, the rest of it was very difficult for me. I also had to make sure everything played out very strategically and that all the puzzle pieces will (eventually) be able to fall into place. As always, I appreciate your thoughts in the comments and thank you for your readership!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inside the Palace of Justice.

Captain Hook allowed Lalita to refill his teacup as he sat back in the plush violet chair. It was a quiet day at the Lilac House, with only the occasional housemaid checking in on them. 

"When do you set sail for Neverland?" Lalita asked.

"Tomorrow, if all goes well today. Ignatius is overseeing all of the preparations."

Lalita sighed dramatically. “An eerie quiet settles in town once everyone departs. I am initially relieved, as you can imagine the hard work that goes into preparing for the Blue Moon Market and Fête on this end. Then, time goes on, and I find myself missing the noise.”

“I understand. I will have to part ways with Wendy soon after we moor.”

“But she will return. For good next time, unless my calculations and understanding is incorrect?”

“You are not incorrect,” James replied, unable to prevent the small smile playing on his lips.

“And by next Market, Kailani will have a ninth babe in her crew.”

James scoffed at the notion. “I passed Domhnall on the street and inquired about his profits this Market, knowing he measures them by how few barrels he has left. He said it was yet to be determined as he had not accounted for the spirits they had personally consumed during the Fête.”

They shared an uproarious laugh that was abruptly interrupted by a continuous ringing of bells, causing them to pause and listen in puzzlement. 

“I was unaware of a belfry?” James inquired, baffled by the clanging. 

“At the Palace of Justice,” Lalita answered carefully. “It rings for two reasons: death, or a town emergency.”

"Perhaps both?" James ventured. 

The ringing was joined by a bellowing horn, causing Lalita to leap from her chair. James slowly rose to his feet.

“What is that?” He inquired, nervous about the alarm on her face.

“I have heard the bell ring from time to time...but the horn…” She looked at him wild eyed with fright. “It means the harbor is closed; no one is permitted to leave Détente waters.” 

They shared a worried gaze before he reached for his hat, about to announce that he ought to reunite with his crew when Rabi ran into the room, the flowers that comprised of her hair wilted and decayed. 

"Captain Hook! You are needed immediately!"

 

* * *

 

Wendy and Ignatius kept their gaze on the corpse that they once called Laddie, laid gently on a marble table as Armistice Nocturna and the High Council carefully examined him. Wendy longed to close the boys eyes, to give him some semblance of peace, but Ignatius told her they must leave the body exactly as it had froze in death so that they could have all of the facts.

"This is a very serious poison," murmured one the High Council, a creature with four faces and one body. Each face was very distinct, complete with different voices, features, and expressions. The faces spun when one wished to speak, leaving the other three hidden from view. Wendy would have been wonderstruck under any other circumstance.  

"This is a very serious crime," Armistice Nocturna replied ominously. Under a friendlier situation, Wendy would have been awestruck by her otherworldly beauty that was as frightening as it was regal; luminescent skin that reflected a prismatic sheen under light and silver eyes. 

"You say there was a witness?" The High Council asked Ignatius.

“Technically there were dozens of witnesses, but only one up close.” Ignatius motioned to Wendy, who gently prodded Desta forward. She had recovered from her swoon shortly after they entered the Palace of Justice, relieving Bill Jukes to stand outside to direct their captain when he arrived. Meek and grief stricken, Desta timidly stepped as close to Laddie’s corpse as she dared, her hands fiddling in front of her and her eyes downcast.

"Give your statement, child." The High Council urged. 

"Laddie and I were talking in the street, when a parade of mummers came through, and with them a tremendous crowd, squeezing everyone together. Those two men..." Desta nervously glanced at the door within the chamber where the two criminals were trussed up and held. "They bumped into us. I thought it was an accident; we were being jostled quite rapidly. But Laddie gave a shout. He thought something had bit him."

"Stung," Wendy quietly corrected.

"Yes," Desta nodded. "Stung. He thought something had stung him. He looked down and saw he was bleeding. He began to swoon and that is when Mistress Jill leapt to catch him before he fell."

Armistice held her hand up for Desta to cease as a servant entered looking most harried.

"Your Honor, Captain Alemayehu is here."

A boom of a voice could be heard from the corridor: "What goes on here? Where is my daughter?"

Desta exchanged a nervous look with Ignatius as Armistice calmly nodded to the servant.

"Escort him in."

He must have been hovering just outside the door, because at Armistice Nocturna's words, a broad shouldered man stormed into the room, shouting, "The streets are saying there was a murder and my daughter was taken!"

"Papa!" Desta cried, running to embrace her father around his middle and pressing her face against his strong shoulder. Captain Alemayehu placed a mighty albeit gentle hand on his daughter's face, nearly covering all of her. 

"Why is she here?"

The High Council answered. "Captain Alemayehu, your daughter is the only witness to this grave crime."

The Ethiopian pirate finally took notice of the corpse, shock and horror written on his face. "This boy...the boy you wanted me to take on my crew."

"Yes," Desta confirmed. 

He took hold of her shoulders and held her out to face him. "How is it you were there? You told me you wanted to nothing to do with him, that he angered you."

The High Council's faces spun twice around in full, their collective eyebrows raised.

"Captain Alemayehu," Armistice Noctunra began kindly but firmly. "Now that you have seen that your daughter is safe, we must ask you to leave this room. We will release your daughter once we are satisfied with her testimony. You are welcome to wait outside."

He was reluctant but eventually let go of his daughter and exited, crossing paths with Captain Hook as the latter marched inside. 

"Ah, Captain Hook."

Wendy turned to see James stride over, his expression hardened as his eyes set on Laddie's body. He stood next to Wendy but did not acknowledge her yet. 

"My crew...someone decided their agenda was worth breaking the one cardinal law of this island in order to murder a member of  _ my _ crew!  _ This is outrageous! _ "

"I assure you, Captain Hook," Armistice Nocturna said. "The enormity of this crime has not escaped us."

Hook mollified his tone before he replied. "I did not mean to imply otherwise, Your Honor. I am merely baffled why someone would deem this boy important enough to kill in broad daylight...in front of dozens of people."

"That is the question on our minds." The High Council said. "We are gathering eyewitness accounts and evidence now."

"How did this happen, precisely?"

The High Council held up and examined the stiletto dagger with which the criminals used to pierce Laddie's skin, careful to avoid the tip as it still held dried blood caked on its tip along with a dark green substance. 

"Poisoned tip of the dagger. I recognize its mark on the body well; it is commonly referred to as The Slither, though it is not common among poisons."

Hook looked up from the dagger and asked, "And what do the killers have to say for themselves?"

"We were waiting for you to arrive before we questioned them." Armistice said before nodding to the High Council. 

After instructing Desta to remain, James, his quartermaster and Wendy followed the others into the little room, standing across from the two bound men. The man Ignatius had caught in his whip had swollen nose and split lip from where his face made abrupt contact with the ground, while his companion was bruised and battered from whatever the blacksmith had done to capture him. Armistice looked down on them as if she were studying specimens under a microscope.

"Is this your first time to Détente, sirs?"

They did their best to conceal their fear of her, but there was no mistaking the sweat along their brow and the tremble in the voice of the one brave enough to speak up.

"Yes."

"Then perhaps you are unaware that we operate on a ceasefire. Bloodshed is strictly prohibited. It matters not ones past or current state, or the bad blood you may hold for another, only that peace is upheld. However, ignorance is no excuse for the crime you two committed. Your best option is to answer my questions honestly. Do you understand?"

The men looked at one another. The one Ignatius caught shook his head at his friend, but the partner looked up at his captors and answered gruffly,  
  
"Yeah."

"Oy," The other huffed under his breath, nudging his companion.

"Were you operating of your own accord, or under orders from someone else?"  
  
The man who had spoke looked downward in frustration, as if he were flighting an inner conflict, before finally answering: "Orders."

"Shut up, you twat!" His companion hissed.

"Why?" The cooperative man growled. "We're fucked either way."

"You traitorous rat," the other groused, turning away from his comrade. 

"Who ordered the assassination of this boy?"

"We don't know," The cooperative man said. "We only follow the letter."

"A letter?"

"When people wanna hire us, they leave us a note. We leave them one to give our price and a drop off time and place. Half due up front. If our terms are met, we carry out the task and receive another payment the following day."

Her silver eyes bore down at them unblinking, as if waiting for them to continue their explanation. Finally, convinced they would not give up anything further without being specifically asked, she resumed her questioning. 

“Who sent you the letter?”

"I swear it, we don't know."

Armistice turned to Captain Hook and nodded. “Present your questions.”

 

“This letter,” Hook narrowed his eyes in thought. “When did you receive it?” 

“Got it just before dawn, maybe three days ago.”

_ The night of Lalita's Ball, _ Wendy thought as a familiar suspicion crept up her spine.

"Do you still have this letter in your possession?"

"Only the second one, giving us a description of our mark."

"We found it among their possessions," The High Council confirmed. 

"Your _mark_?" Ignatius snarled. "You mean the boy you killed, the boy who never did you any harm!" "

"Why did you administer poison with a blade?” Wendy suddenly asked, the question coming to her as quickly as she had vocalized it.

“The boy never left his side," the cooperative one nodded crudely towards Ignatius, "or anyone for that matter. It was the first time we saw him without any other crew members. We didn’t even notice the girl with him, and we knew you’d be shoving off soon so we had to take the opportunity. Blade was just the vessel to deliver the poison and gets right quick into the blood, makes for a quicker and more assured death. Had we the luxury of time, missus, we might have come up with a less offensive way to administer the poison.”

Wendy reeled with the repulsion from his straightforward answers, but merely sneered at them in response. 

"Where did you obtain this poison, The Slither?" James followed up. His question was met with contemptuous silence, which was more telling than an ambiguous answer. Captain Hook walked forward and stood over them, his voice eerily calm and gentlemanly as he said: “Make no mistake, sirs: regardless of your cooperation, you will assuredly die. There is only the chance to help us seek justice and possibly alleviate the pain you two will most undoubtedly suffer should we be unsuccessful to produce the mastermind behind this insidious plot. If you do not possess that name, and we are unable to properly secure the true guilty party, you two will be bearing the torment meant for them along with your own sins. Your assistance will merely determine the method in which you shall die. It can be quick and painless, or it can linger, with unimaginable agony so infuriating you will beg to be put out of your misery. Will you perish by being burned at the stake? Flayed until every layer of flesh peels off of your bones? Perhaps drawn and quartered? Alternatively, you could be given a quick and painless poison, like closing your eyes and slipping into a pleasant slumber. Say the name of the true assailant now and you both shall die peacefully, quietly, without suffering. Anyone would be lucky to have such a guarantee when life and death rarely present us with such control."

A muscle spasm rippled in their tense faces, giving away their nervous tension. 

"We cannot give you a name we do not know."

"As you say," James replied lightly before marching out, followed by Ignatius and the others, the High Council securing the door once more before they reconvened in the larger room. 

"The manner in which they conduct their operation, with the anonymous letters," Armistice Nocturna recounted. "That is how assassins of the Shadow Island operate."

"They may have achieved murdering this poor boy," The High Council scoffed, "But they were sloppy in their escape. If they were true Shadow Island Assassins, they would have been able to slip away without anyone noticing before the boy had hit the ground. This was only made to look like such a mark."

“Agreed,” Hook and Armistice Nocturna said in unison. 

“Why would they lie about such a thing?” The High Council mused, crossing his arms against his chest.  
  
“To cover for their real master,” Ignatius coldly murmured. 

"I would like to read this secondary letter." Captain Hook stated, taking the letter with his quartermaster and his wife on either side of him as they read: 

_ Tall. Slim. Auburn braid. Not quite yet a man. _

"Does anyone recognize the handwriting?" Armistice Nocturna asked.

All three of them shook their heads.

"Do you believe that they are lying about the anonymity of this letter?" The High Council inquired. 

"No," Hook stated, folding his arms against his chest. "They would have betrayed their benefactor in a heartbeat."

"I believe these men are pawns in a much larger scheme," Wendy stated finally after carefully listening to everyone else and finding the courage to speak up. "They were meant to be convicted for this crime."

"I am of the same mind," James agreed. "I know one thing, though: those men are new to the Neverlands." 

They all looked at James in silent astonishment.

"I thought the same," Armistice Nocturna admitted. "Which part of their confession conveyed this to you?"

"They are too green; they did not know the rules of this island, nor how real Shadow Island assassins operate. The assassins never travel here because they cannot find gainful employment. No one would be foolish enough to plot an assassination here unless they were unaware of the law. Only the freshest faces, eager to impress and curry favor would risk something so blithering stupid." 

"But whose favor are they attempting to win?" Wendy mused. 

They stood in tense silence until the High Council spoke.

“Let us review the facts we all of us agree upon: These two men murdered your cabin boy. They were hired by someone through a series of notes, and either instructed or decided of their own accord to make it look like they are Shadow Island Assassins. They used an uncommon poison for a quick death. We do not know as of yet who hired them, or who they are attempting to impress, if they are separate entities at all.” 

“Do the Shadow Island Assassins require an entrance exam of some sort?” Wendy suddenly asked, thinking on her own entrance exam for Oxford.

“Do you mean an initiation?” Hook asked. 

“Precisely.” 

“Naturally,” The High Council replied with his second face. “They are an extraordinarily elite and secretive group. It is my understanding that before they even consider new acolytes, interested parties must provide evidence of their earnestness to become a Shadow Island Assassin."

"What kind of evidence?" Ignatius asked, dreading the answer.

"Nobody knows for certain, only that it is a gamble the potential pupil must make through their own interpretation of evidence."

"Theoretically," Hook said, "this evidence could be a mimicry of Shadow Island operations? To prove they are capable of executing an assassination properly?"

The High Council nodded tightly. "Indeed." 

"We must hold an inquisition to suss out the mastermind behind this nefarious plot. Is there anyone you three can think of who would want to harm this boy?" Armistice asked. 

Hook, Wendy, and Ignatius all looked pointedly away from one another. After an awkward silence, Hook finally stepped first with his nomination.

"I believe that Lord Oaken ought to be brought in for questioning."

"James..." Ignatius breathed, betrayal in his eyes. "How could you even insinuate him?"

"I do not do this lightly, Mr. Starkey, nor to offend you. It is only..." Hook's tone and features softened. "He saw you walking with the boy at his gambling house, after your feud, and spoke with jealousy when he demanded to know Laddie's relation to you."

Ignatius glared murderously at his captain before hastily spurting, "I contest this accusation and put forth another name." Ignatius turned his burning eyes towards Desta. "This girl!"

"What?" Desta exclaimed.

"Mr. Starkey!" Wendy gasped.

"Have you lost your damn senses, Ignatius?" James hissed. 

"She was enraged that Laddie refused to leave the  _ Jolly Roger _ and join her father's crew; she vowed never to speak to him again, she even admitted as much to her own father. We know from the criminals that they received their orders on the morning after Lalita's ball," Ignatius glared at James as he added, "Not yesterday when Lord Oaken allegedly first laid eyes on him." 

Desta looked to Captain Hook and Wendy for assistance. "Please, Captain Hook! Mistress Jill! You know I would never...yes, I was angry, but I drank too much that night. After I had a good night's rest and cleared my head, I realized I had been foolish. Please, you must believe me!"

James looked conflicted but ultimately stuck to his conviction. "I am still of the mind that Lord Oaken ought to be questioned. I know first hand the kind of lengths he will go to achieve his goals." He cast along, knowing stare at his quartermaster, a stare which Ignatius deliberately ignored.

"I will send for Lord Oaken at once. We will hold him overnight and you may question him with us tomorrow morning." She turned to Desta and said, not unkindly, "We must keep you here in the meantime, young woman, but I will speak with your father. We do not wish to incite more bloodshed."

Desta's eyes watered but she held her chin up proudly. "Do what you must, Your Honor. I am resolute in my innocence." She turned to look at James, whose eyes were filled with guarded apologies. "Find justice for Laddie, Captain Hook." 

The High Council sent for a sentry to escort Desta away. After she was removed Armistice turned to Wendy and looked her squarely in the eyes.

"Mistress Jill? Have you any knowledge or instinct to the identity of this mysterious mastermind?"

Wendy felt very small and very much like the young schoolgirl playing pretend, only her imagination had run wild again and now she was in a waking nightmare of her own making. She cleared her throat. "I only know of one who would stoop so low and risk so much for petty revenge, and that is Captain Alonso Scarsi."

A heavy silence engulfed the room before Armistice Nocturna broke it.

"That is a grievous allegation against a man of such power and influence, Mistress Jill. Have you any proof?"

"Nothing, Your Honor, save for experiencing his veiled threats and contempt for my husband first hand."

Armistice cast them a long, hard look before she began to pace around the room. "I know that Captain Scarsi is not a beloved man, that his crew is built on a reputation of cruelty, and that he is said to be driven by revenge, malice, and dark magic. Still, he has merely danced at the edge of boundaries and never officially crossed them. I have no reason accuse him of foul play, and I cannot risk the tenuous peace of this town bringing him into the inquisition, to say nothing of a trial, without proof of aggression."    
"He is a clever man," Wendy added grudgingly, her eyes angrily shifting from her husband to Ignatius. "Clever enough to ensure we would squabble over seemingly culpable but ultimately innocent parties."

"Find me the evidence, Mistress Jill, and I may bring him forward for questioning. Are there any witnesses to your claims of Captain Scarsi's animus behavior?"

"Yes, Your Honor," Wendy replied excitedly as she recalled the events of the week prior. "Last week, shortly after my first encounter with Captain Scarsi, two of his crew members attacked Laddie and I in the Market. I am unsure if they meant to scare and annoy me, or if true harm was their intent. My harness was severed, and one of my pistols went off. Luckily, no one was injured."

Her silver eyes flashed as The High Council spun his faces, his third face scowling in a most disapproving manner.

"And why was this not brought to our attention immediately after it transpired?"

"On my orders," Hook promptly answered. "As no one was harmed, I did not wish to engage Alonso's petty attempt to gain my attention."  
  
"Captain Hook," Her Honor began, reproach and bemusement in her expression. "Forgive me for broaching the most taboo topic one can speak of here in the Neverlands, but your comment leads me to believe that you were acquainted with Captain Scarsi before either of you resided here?"

"Yes, your Honor. That is true."  
  
She nodded knowingly. "And you are aware it is illegal to act upon transactions past, from that life which you had abandoned?"

"Yes, your Honor."   
  
"How did you know the two men were from the _Darkest Night_?"

"Laddie recognized them," Wendy murmured with a quick glance at the dead cabin boy. 

"A chemist and textile merchants can vouch for this truth," Ignatius interjected. "We secured their stories and the chemist's word that he would testify, on the off chance Captain Scarsi decided to escalate the matter. The textile merchants were coerced into silence, but I am confident they will be forthcoming under a formal investigation. Mistress Jill also has a scorched piece of brocade, as material evidence of this event."

"Very well," Armistice Nocturna exhaled deeply. "We will gather the facts and confer our best course of action, beginning with questioning Lord Oaken and Desta in the morning. Mistress Jill, you will have tomorrow afternoon to gather any further evidence against Captain Scarsi and present them to myself and the High Council by evening fall. We will then decide if it is sufficient enough to bring him in for questioning. I do not approve of his crew members acting upon their ire for any reason, let alone to provoke old wounds they are forbidden to acknowledge while on my island. However, as you did not follow through with your due diligence, Captain Hook, I cannot very well do more than give Captain Scarsi a stern warning in private. If Mistress Jill is able to connect him to this crime, we can proceed further. In the meantime, take your boy and give him a proper burial. Mourn him with his brothers and your friends of this island. However, prepare yourselves." Her silver eyes bore into them as she finished, "When the sun begins to set the day after tomorrow, these two killers will be yours to execute however you see fit, so long as it is public and its violence spares no dispute about the law on Détente: that no one shall  _ ever _ be permitted to shed innocent blood and escape death."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is arriving a bit later than I would have liked but that is for a few reasons: 1) Work eating up my time 2) The fact that I do not write crime mysteries and this is new for me and I am trying to be painfully careful that all of the pieces fall into place in a certain way and 3) This chapter WAS extra long (nearly double what it is) but I decided to save half for Chapter 10, which is now almost written and should not be as nearly as long of a wait. I hope you enjoy! Please feel free to leave me comments <3 If you want to wax poetic about Darling Hook or ask questions privately, you can find me on tumblr at http://www.geek-girl-extraordinaire.tumblr.com THANK YOU!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Funeral

Wendy does not recall the return trip to the _ Jolly Roger _ , only that someone helped her onto the bench of the wagon that Mullins drove, his big brown eyes refusing to glance at the corpse in the bed of the wagon, now swaddled in canvas and ready for the burial later that evening. 

Some of the more superstitious men idled on shore while the body of their dead brother at sea rest within the belly of the  _ Jolly Roger _ . Wearily, Wendy trudged inside the cabin, heavy with emotion she was not permitted to express until now. She felt someone tug at her arm and turned to see Ignatius, looking just as haggard as she felt. 

"Would you be a dove and go down to my cabin and fetch me something plain and dark to wear for tonight?" He cast a long glance at James, who sat heavily at his desk. "I need to speak to our captain."

Wendy hesitated only for a fraction of a second before nodding and heading downstairs. As soon as she exited, Ignatius closed the door and instantly rounded on his captain. 

"What the fuck are you playing at?"

Wendy paused to listen, quietly pressing her ear against the wooden door. 

"Stop." James sighed, rubbing his forehead. Ignatius paced angrily around him like a shark circling its prey.

"James, we have been friends and partners longer than any normal lifetime, for more lifetimes than we can count. I have defended your actions, stood between you and mutiny, and I have thrown myself between you and death. You have done all of these things and more for me. You moved heaven and earth to discover the Neverlands, found the very sanctuary you promised me all of those years ago. Why? Why do you injure me like this?"

"I said stop, damn you!" James roared, crashing his hook onto the desk, startling Wendy on the other side of the door. She quickly descended the stairs to focus on her task and escape her husband’s ire. 

"Iggy. Your emotions dictate your anger now. Your affection for Oaken has blinded you to his cunning."

“He would not do this to me,” Ignatius insisted. James inhaled deeply and exhaled as he looked up at his thoroughly besotted quartermaster. 

“Ignatius. If he was prepared to usurp me, knowing the full extent of our past and friendship, what in the seven hells do you think he would do to an all but nameless cabin boy?”

Ignatius paused, simmering in his contempt but unable to deny the truth of Hook's words. Finally, he played his last ace: "But are you prepared for the truths that will inevitably slip from Oaken's lips once he is questioned? You spoke of his vindictive, cunning nature, and you are correct to assume such, but if you do not believe he will use the Palace of Justice to air every private matter that took place during his time with us,  _ especially _ in front of Wendy, you are only fooling yourself."  
  


Wendy stood just inside Mr. Starkey's cabin, smaller and than the one she shared with James upstairs. It was bright, from the windows that extended down from the captain's quarters, and tidy, save for the canvas hammock towards the back, where a small pile of clothes were puddled. Wendy quickly turned away to set her focus on the bureau, with its little collection of personal items atop its wide surface: two abalone shells used for trays to keep coins, another for a candle. A glint of gold caught Wendy’s eye, and for a moment, she was confused as to why James’s Spanish doubloon pendant was here, when she realized it was a separate yet identical piece. Turning the gold coin over in her hand, Wendy wondered if Ignatius still wore it, or if it was merely a token of bygone days. She carefully put it back before recognizing another item: a small, neatly folded handkerchief she had embroidered and given to Laddie when she first brought him to the  _ Jolly Roger _ . A tarnished silver spoon rested over one corner, the token of motherly affection when she shuffled Laddie off into the arms of men who could defend him against Pan’s inability to recognize a former ally. Wendy knew Ignatius shared his quarters with Laddie, but confronted with the deceased boy’s meager belongings was too much; she felt tears prickling her eyes and made quick work of opening and rummaging through the drawers until she found what she had been sent for.

“We will sort this out, find the guilt party, and kill them.” James said confidently as he poured two glasses of port. “For now, have a drink and relax your nerves.”

Ignatius shook his head at the offered glass. “I cannot drink now, because once I begin, I have no intention of stopping...and I need a clear head to get me through these next two days.”

Walking through the day cabin, Wendy tossed Mr. Starkey his clothes before she entered the inner sanctuary and collapsed onto the bed, hugging her pillow to her chest as she began to cry again. She wanted James to comfort her, but could not bring herself to ask for anything as her grief consumed her. 

James felt torn; he knew he needed to comfort his Wendy Darling, but he had to ensure Ignatius would not leave in such a rage that he would end up doing something stupid. Not for the first time, a selfish part of James secretly wished he could keep both of them at his side. He did not need to vocalize this desire to know both parties would toss him overboard at the suggestion, though, so he kept his greedy desires to himself.    
Ignatius spied the conflict on his captain's face and, with a final glance towards Wendy, rose to his feet. 

"Go to her," he quietly instructed. Startled, James looked at him. "You and I have lost to death countless times, but I believe this may be her first real death." He lightly shook his head. "She will likely never fully recover from it." He looked down at his soiled clothes and took hold of the clean attire Wendy found for him. 

"Where are you going?" Hook asked.

"I cannot bear to return to my cabin, but I need to get bathe. I will pay a visit to Gellert in the house of green and prey upon his sympathies long enough to clean myself and gather my wits. I will return in two hours time to help with the procession."

"No, you will not leave this ship." James said apologetically, though his blue eyes were steeled and not to be argued with.

"I beg your pardon?"

"It is too dangerous right now. Whoever targeted Laddie had some greater cause in mind, I know it. We need to stay close and only move in groups until we catch and kill this blackguard."

"If I took Mullins or Cecco-"

"I do not trust _you_ , Iggy." Hook finally confessed. "I do not trust you not to warn Oaken or play detective in the hopes of unmasking Laddie's killer."

"Play?" Mr. Starkey breathed, narrowing his eyes dangerously. "Are you under the impression this is a game? Or that I believe it to be?"

"No, that is not-"

"James, do you honestly believe I am unaware of the grim austerity of this horrendous situation we now find ourselves in?"

"No." A darkness fell over Captain Hook's expression, normally a precursor to a fit of fury, but he grit his teeth, preferring to keep Ignatius talking even if it meant he took a lashing.

"I did not think so!" Ignatius looked up and gave a start. Wendy was standing in the arch between the day and night cabins. Her eyes were puffy and red from tears as she stared at him. 

"We cannot lose another member of this crew," Wendy stated, her voice no more than a rasp. "We cannot lose you, Ignatius."

The quartermaster violently exhaled through his nostrils before turning to storm out.

"Where are you-"

"I shall brief our crew of our current circumstances and prepare myself for tonight. Wendy, I am sending up a bath for you." The door slammed shut behind him and James and Wendy shared a breath of relief.

 

* * *

 

"I still believe this misfortune was wrought by Captain Scarsi."

"It is too easy," Captain Hook said, scrubbing Wendy's back from his position on a stool behind her. "Our animosity of him might be clouding our vision."

"I think he has us exactly where he wants us," Wendy stated calmly. "Pitted against one another as we accuse everyone but him."

"You must produce more evidence than we have on another crime, my love, and he is too careful for that. If indeed it was him at all."

"Why did Armistice only give me an afternoon to conduct my own investigation?"

"Time is of the essence, pet," James explained patiently. "We cannot linger here lest unrest festers in the street. At the risk of this town falling to pieces from discord and suspicion, Her Honor is effectively holding everyone hostage until justice is served."

A knock gently interrupted them. Hook rose to answer the door, opening just a sliver to see Smee on the other side. He held out a sealed letter.  "For Miss Wendy."

"Thank you." 

Wendy's remaining dry hand was already outstretched, breaking the purple wax seal as soon as the letter was in her grasp. She read out loud: '"Mistress Jill, I will be along in the morning to assist your preparations for court. Expect me just after the sun rises. Lalita"' Wendy looked up at her husband. "Why would I need assistance?"

"I believe Lalita is going to ensure you are at your most  _ Jolly Roger _ regal." 

Wendy groaned in protest, letting the letter flutter to the floor beside the tub as she closed her eyes as she rested her head against the fleece covered head of the tub. "I do not feel as if I have anything to contribute, especially when I could use those precious hours to build my case against Scarsi."

"You must be present," James insisted, waiting until she opened her eyes to look at him. "You were witness to Laddie's death, and the moment Oaken cast himself into our suspicion."

" _Your_ suspicion," Wendy reminded him.

James continued as if she had not interrupted him, unwilling to engage her in a fight so quickly on the heels of his fight with Ignatius. "Besides which, we need to be seen as a united force to reckon with. Your presence is extraordinarily vital." Hook crossed his arms. "Which is why it would be best for you to shed all of your tears now, in the privacy of our cabin. No one must see your anguish, only composed outrage."

Wendy turned her head away from him, offended but helpless to counter any of his commands.  _ How can he ask this of me? How did this all get so out of hand? We were so close to leaving...how and why did this happen? However shall I return to my life now? _

"James," Wendy began meekly. "How is it you are able to retain such temperance? Are you not despairing as I am?"

"I am the captain," James replied, taking his seat behind her once more. "I do not have the luxury of despair. If we are to yield any justice, my rage must be restricted to a simmering vexation. I assure you my Darling girl, were I able to express the full extent of my umbrage, I would set this entire harbor ablaze to smoke out the treacherous rat that profaned against  _ my _ crew."

 

* * *

 

"Laddie was not like the rest of the Lost Boys," Wendy stated numbly as she carefully rimmed her eyes in the traditional kohl that marked a person in mourning. "He did not fall from his preambular, the way Peter claims to find his boys. Laddie was left on purpose." Wendy's voice caught in her throat. "And now I have to leave him forever."

James listened, knowing her sorrowful chatter need not always be answered. Instead, he instructed Wendy to go through her belongings. "It is customary for friends and family to donate an object of value, a personal piece of treasure, to the departed. So they will have something to remember you by."

Wendy went through her treasure chest before settling on one of the hair combs Laddie picked out for her; she would wear the other tomorrow at the Palace of Justice. She stroked its beautiful mother-of pearl inlay and felt it the most appropriately symbolic item she could give Laddie for his journey into the afterlife, whatever that may entail. A gentle knock at the door made Wendy part with her melancholic reverie.

"Cap'n? Miss Wendy? It's time."

Wendy clutched James's arm as if she would faint without his sturdy, dependable presence as they led the procession down the dock towards the beach. Wendy wore her black breeches with a black linen long sleeve borrowed from her husband and fitted to her slighter form with a black leather bodice. She stole frequent glances behind her to watch Ignatius and Mullins carry the wrapped body of Laddie on a cot made of a stretched canvas tied to two poles. In a semicircle, the whole crew flanked the litter of death, somber and in their darkest clothing. Trying to focus elsewhere, Wendy turned her attentions to the different ships moored. Carracks, longboats, tekkousen, langskip, atakebune, sloops, and so much more gently bobbed anchored in the waters not far. A few stood out, like the red trimmed  _ Crimson Knave _ , with the largest sail the color of blood, and the dark wood schooner  _ Darkest Night _ , with its siren figurehead at the bow and the all black sails meant to intimidate. Wendy sneered at its self-importance before focusing back on the task at hand. Many crews were gathered to watch the procession, some from the safety of their ships, others gathered on gangplanks or the shoreside just on the rise above the dock. Except...these were mostly people she only knew by sight, not by true acquaintanceship.  _ Where is Lalita? Captain Kailani and her crew? _ Before the hurt and resentment roosted deep in her heart, Wendy saw the answer to her question and was instantly assuaged. 

A crowd was gathered at the beach already, standing in a semi-circle in their most humble dark plainclothes. Among them were Kailani, Domhnall, their children and the entire crew of the Storm Breaker; Lalita, Rabi, and a good dozen or so employees from the Street of Lights, all of the young folk Laddie chummed around with, merchants and business folk Wendy assumed saw Laddie regularly on his errands. It was heartwarming, and nearly penetrated the numbness coursing through Wendy’s veins. Laddie was laid in a small carrack, and Wendy could not help but be struck with the morbid thought that it resembled a cradle.  _ A cradle no mother ever gently rocked you in _ , Wendy thought mournfully.  _ Now only the cold embrace of the sea will be your mother. _

Everyone queued up to deposit their charm for Laddie’s spirit to take into the afterlife. Some did so wordlessly, others lingered for one last look, and others like Wendy attempted to mumble belated reassurances on deaf ears. Every _Storm Breaker_ child had a token of their own to give to Laddie, even little Makoa, who gave away a leather lace with buttons strung on it. 

“No Lost Boy could ever hope to have such a family as this,” Wendy whispered to James, his arms around her as they observed the carrack piled high with flowers and tokens.  

“Captain Hook.” 

They turned to see Captain Alemayehu and for a split second, Hook tensed as if he were preparing to launch in a sword-fight at any second. Instead, Captain Alemayehu held out his arm. 

“I am sorry for your loss. By all accounts he was a good lad.”

“That he was,” James replied, clasping the offered arm.

“I spoke with my daughter. I was furious at her arrest, naturally, but she explained why your quartermaster suspects her. She, that is to say,  **we** are all confident in her innocence.”  
  
“I am as well. I am sorry for the inconvenience.”

“No, you must clear her name. I see it now: If Mr. Starkey had not accused her, others would have started rumors, especially because she made a spectacle of herself denouncing him. But, with your permission, Desta would like to place flowers on his deathbed? She is here, under guard.” He gestured towards three shadows framed inside the firelight, where they could just make out the forms of two sentries flanking a young woman.

“Of course,” James said, stepping away to allow the young woman an iota of privacy to say her farewells. As she was the last to do so, it was time to shove the boat into the sea. Lalita approached the sea coffin and placed a small glowing orb atop the body, a creature fluttering within its crystal dome. Hook along with the rest of his men shoved the boat out into the black waters, and soon the waves took hold of it. Wendy watched with transfixed fascination as the little light grew brighter the further the bat drifted out, until finally, when it was well beyond the point any human eyes would have been able to decipher in the night, the light grew so intense that many shielded their eyes from its glory, until finally, it flashed along the horizon and was at once extinguished, with no boat in sight. Wendy opened her mouth to inquire the mechanics of such a feat, but let the words die on her tongue. There was some Neverland magic she would rather remain a mystery.

 

Unable to hear one more platitude, Ignatius sat just outside the glow of the firelight, elbows on his knees as he watched black waters lapping against the moonlit shore. He did not start when a blanket was thrown over his shoulders and a familiar body dropped next to him, their arms touching.  
  
“Hm?” Gellert offered his flagon to Ignatius, who shook his head once in refusal.

“I have to keep a clear head for tomorrow.”  
  
“Ah. Yes. Tomorrow. The inquisition.”

“Have you seen him?”  
  
“Yes. I was visiting when Oaken received his summons. He asked me to bring a change of clothes for tomorrow, so I followed shortly after the sentries escorted him to the Palace of Justice.”

“How did he react? Was he scared?”  
  
Gellert barked with laughter. “Oh, Ignatius. Lord Oaken, show even a _hint_ of fright on his face? No, the pretty little prig remained cool and collected as ever. Just raised that saucy brow of his to express irritation even though his words were the very model of hospitality. He did not know why he was being summoned until he was in front of the High Council and Armistice Nocturna.”

“Did he say anything to you when you visited him?”  
  
Gellert hesitated. “Mmm. Yes.”

Ignatius nudged the blonde man with his elbow. “Go on.” 

“He said, ‘Tell that craven excuse for a man not to sniff around my yard until he has the bollocks and spine to stand up straight.’”

“I expected as much.”

They let silence wash over them, Ignatius taking comfort in the familiar presence of a lover who would only coddle him so much.   
  
“You know, Oaken and I talk about you.”  
  
“Oh, yes? Talk? Complain and whine about my inattentiveness, I should think.”  
  
“There is a fair amount of that, too, yes. When we were younger we would pretend to fight over you and make a case for which of us you would chose.”  
  
“Oh?” Ignatius gave a small, dry laugh. “Who won?”  
  
“Neither of us. We both recognized who would always ultimately win your favor.”  
  
Ignatius looked sharply at Gellert, saw his playful, knowing smirk as his crafty eyes led the quartermaster to their line of vision. Craning his neck, Ignatius spied James clasping the arm of another guest as he kept his mutilated arm protectively around a distant looking Wendy. Ignatius turned back and shook his head.   
  
“It has never been like that between us. The failure to recognize the depth of our friendship rests with you and Oaken, though, not I." 

"It matters not the nature of your friendship. You will never leave the _Jolly Roger_." Oaken peered over at Hook, his gaze now locked with Wendy, whose hair he stroked. "Though I am not so sure he would return the loyalty, if pressed to make uncomfortable choices." 

"Mistress Jill intends to live out the rest of her days with us, not the other way around."  
  
"If you say so."

"I happen to like her, as it so happens, so stop your simpering, insinuating tones. I am very much obliged to her for breathing life into my captain. A feat no..." Ignatius hesitated, not wanting to hear himself admit hard truths out loud. "A feat no one has been able to master, man or woman." Gellert merely gave him a noncommittal noise, not convinced but unwilling to push Ignatius deeper into thoughts and feelings that would only end in a spoiled mood on an already ill-begotten day. Ignatius added, almost to himself, "Besides. I gave up on love long before I ever set foot on Neverland shores.”

 

Leaving Wendy in the care of Kailani’s maternal sympathies, James crept away and found Lalita, gently touching her elbow and guiding her to a quiet area where they could not be overheard.   
“Oh, James,” she sighed. “I know you kept your distance from him for various reasons, but Laddie truly was a good boy and I am sorry for the loss of him.”  
  
“True, he was more the crew’s pet, particularly with Jill and Ignatius, but I certainly never wished the boy harm. We went out of our way to ensure he would not do anything stupid with his infatuation with his Mistress, so suffice to say I had a vested interest in his future.”   
  
“Yes, I brokered the arrangement. The girl he shared time with, Poppy, is unusually distraught. I think she was rather smitten with him, the silly girl.” It was said affectionately.  

“This was such a waste. This slight was aimed at me, the boy merely a means to a terrible point.” 

“That is curious; and here I thought you believed Lord Oaken was exacting some jealous lover’s revenge.”  
  
James frowned. “He is the only one I could think petty enough to act upon his publicly expressed overt contempt for the boy.” 

“Truly, I would have thought your suspicions would lie with Captain Scarsi.”

James shoot her a stern glare. “Don’t you start; my paramour is well enough up that tree already.”

“Alonso is the only one arrogant enough to believe he is impervious to justice.” She took a long sip of her drink before adding, “Though I doubt you will ever be able to link him to the crime. He is many things, but stupid and careless are neither of them.”

“Actually…” James cast her a long look. “You could possibly conduct your own investigation, could you not?”

Lalita’s eyes widened before she looked around to ensure no one overheard. When she felt safe, she whispered, “Even if I offered such a service to you, and even if I managed to overhear certain conversations, how could they ever be presented to the court? Especially when I am due to serve as the Business Tribune.”   
  
James sighed and shook his head. “I held out very little hope anyway.”  
  
Gently, she touched his arm in a show of sympathy. "I am sorry. Should Armistice require my talents as an Undine, and believes our association as friends will not taint the tribunal, then we shall revisit the topic." 

* * *

 

After enduring all they could, James and Wendy made their excuses, distancing themselves from the wake of people milling on the beach, all with the same sentiments and concerns on their lips. Before they left, though, James pulled Smee and Alf Mason aside. "Make sure Mr. Starkey does not drink, and that he is in a spare cot in the crew quarters. He is not to leave your sight even for a moment."

"Aye, Cap'n," Smee and Mason replied solemnly

"He will need to be awake shortly after the sun rises. Smee, fetch clothes for him from his cabin. For obvious reasons, he is not ready to return there at this time."

"Aye, Cap'n."

"Goodnight," Wendy said as sweetly as she could muster, unable to hide the sorrow or weariness out of her weak smile. 

They returned to the _ Jolly Roger _ in silence, nodding to the guards Armistice Nocturna assigned to protect their ship. Wendy found the ship to be eerie without the boisterous men tromping about, and hastened to their cabin to avoid the deafening silence. Hook set down the lantern and brightened the flame as Wendy's fingers automatically navigated themselves in undressing as her thoughts were mired down by sorrow, her expression lost and weary. James followed suit, although his thoughts were already on tomorrow's impending trial. 

"James," Wendy began in a small voice, sitting on the edge of their bed, naked save for her luxurious locks covering her. 

"Hm?" James paused in his trek over to the trunk, intending to fetch Wendy's nightgown for her.

"I cannot go to sleep like this, my mind agitated, dwelling on what is undoubtedly the worst day of my life. I will never achieve sleep."

He stroked the top of her head. "It sounds as if you already have a solution formulated in your mind." 

Wendy stood up and looked up at him luminescent hazel eyes under full curling lashes in what would have been perceived as a bashful gaze by anyone else, but James understood her intent instantly and quirked a brow at her. 

"You cannot be serious.  _ Now _ ?"

"My world has been obliterated into utter chaos, James," Wendy sighed in frustration. "I need to focus on something else, something that will occupy me in both body and mind, and take me away from the horrors this day has wrought."

The side of his mouth quirked as he curled a lock of hair behind her ear. "You do not find the notion to be a touch morbid?"

In answer, Wendy sensually brushed her hair back from her naked body, then used the back of her right hand to gently caress her breast while her left hand reached up to cup James' ear and cheek, ensuring his line of sight was on her. His heart quickened in his chest as her nipples hardened, and his mouth watered as Wendy  shifted her body onto the bed so that she was laying back against the bolster as she slowly spread her creamy thighs, an invitation if ever there was one.    
"Put out the lamp, James," she ordered simply and sweetly. 

"You truly are a succubus sent to torment me," he sighed in mock exasperation as his weakness for her would always triumph over good sense. Their cabin was then illuminated by moonlight alone and his clothes were subsequently a pile on the floor before he covered her body with his own, lowering himself as she descended backward onto the mattress. Carefully cradling her head in the crook of his mutilated arm, James used his intact hand to delve between her thighs, and finding her not quite ready, began to gently stroke her sex. He was inside her the moment she was ready and moaning for him.

"Don't be gentle," Wendy ordered hotly in his ear. Her acquiescence secured, James rose to his knees and spread her legs wide, anchoring his weight against her kneecaps as he bent her legs back and thrust deeply. Arching her back as best she could against his weight, Wendy vocalized her gratitude and started to jut her hips upwards to meet his propulsions. He fucked her deep and hard, just as she had demanded. Inspiration seized Hook as he withdrew from Wendy Darling and quickly twisted her body so that she was on her side, one knee raised to allow him access as he lay partially on top, partially behind her, his intact hand gripping her slender neck but withheld from squeezing. In this position, James could see the sweet torture on Wendy's face yet still take her deeply from behind. 

"Yes, yes, just like that," Wendy groaned. She reached and grasped the two pendants still hanging around James' neck, the doubloon medallion and the keepsake in which held a lock of Wendy's hair. She was too short to effectively reduce his breath, though. Abruptly he removed his hand from her neck and slapped her bottom, causing her to release his pendants in surprise. He pulled out and off of her as he ordered, "You work for it, girl."

Obeying, Wendy scrambled to her knees and turned around, grasping his shoulders as she expertly slid her body downward and took him inside of her, effortlessly beginning a quickened rhythm. His intact hand helped steady her from its placement at the small of her back. He loved watching her concentrate on her task, but he closed his eyes this time and enjoyed the sensation and the sweet sounds of her effort. He could feel her breath on his ear, shortly followed by her teeth on the lobe and her nails raking against his scalp, a precursor to the violent twist and pull of his hair, causing him to grunt in surprised pain. Wendy was merciless; working pain and pleasure in both of them like a well-oiled machine. James longed to deliver some physical torment to her but could not trust himself in his current state to have full control of the iron appendage; her emotional pain would have to suffice. The hand on the small of her back tightened, bracing her against his sweat slicked body in warning. Wendy worked herself faster, leaning her weight against him fully to free up the hand not entangled in his hair to delve between her legs. Her mouth abandoned his ear in favor of his neck, biting down at the pivotal moment when their bodies and hearts were truly one. Hook felt her hand loosen in his hair, falling limp to her side as she rested her head against his shoulder and waited for her breath to regulate. She was a rag doll in his arms as he gently maneuvered them into lying down,wiggling to get under the covers. Once securely underneath the confines of their bedding, Wendy clung to James, desperate to put the miserable day behind them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I am dragging this story out longer than necessary, but I like writing dialogue and detailing people's relationships. So, we're soon going to close up this story as in there will be an eventual time jump ad fourth part to this series. Now, I'm of 2 minds to also skip backwards and focus on the years between 'Your Precious Thimble' and 'The Frisky Plank'. I may even be bold enough to write both simultaneously. Gosh I am adventurous. Anyway. Slide into my DMs and talk Darling Hook to me at: http://www.geek-girl-extraordinaire.tumblr.com Hope you enjoyed!


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